Middlesbrough Where heroin is cheaper than cigarettes!!!

Doglas hard,Special Crime reporter(wp/bbc):::

In Middlesbrough, a bag of heroin can cost as little as £5. It is not the only town in England to see problems with the drug and homelessness. BBC Tees reporter Adam Clarkson spent an evening on the streets with people who wanted to tell their stories.

"You want hardcore? I'll show you hardcore."

Longshank is 46 years old. That's not his real name but how he wants to be referred to. He's homeless and has promised to "show me the ropes".

About five years ago, he found himself sleeping rough. He had struggled with alcohol addiction for years, but said it was the death of his wife that saw his life spiral out of control.

"She was my partner in crime, the best thing that ever happened to me. I was with her 31 years. It broke my heart," he said.

He's drinking a two-litre bottle of cider when we meet. He drinks at least one every day.

"I get wrecked just to get numb. I can't face the music," he adds, "But life has to go on."

He describes his life as "horrendous".

Two days ago, somebody threw a bucket of urine at him.

"It was in the middle of Linthorpe Road. I was just sat there. They swilled me. You wouldn't believe it. I've never been so humiliated."

We walk to the same spot when a drunk man, who is known to Longshank, becomes aggressive towards me.

Things become heated, but calm down as the man bursts into tears. He says he and his partner recently lost a baby, and are facing the prospect of becoming homeless.

I am told that arguments and violence "come with the territory".

Longshank then shows me "the bedroom department" - a sheltered car park behind a restaurant, where many rough sleepers congregate.

This is where I meet a 22-year-old who introduces himself as Little Man.

Little Man says he has been using heroin since the age of 12.

"It's upsetting. I didn't have to go down this route. It breaks my heart, I could do more with my life."

"There's guaranteed to be a drug dealer within 100ft," Little Man says.

I watch as Little Man, Longshank and a number of others pass around a bag of heroin. The powder is melted, mixed with vinegar and put into a syringe.

One man injects himself in his groin.

Tom Le Ruez, Middlesbrough Council's drug-related deaths co-ordinator, says mixing vinegar is "not a particularly good idea".

"It isn't advised that people inject at all, but injecting in environments like dark alleys increases the risk that people will damage their veins."

A bag of heroin costs as little as £5, I am told. Little Man says it's very easy to find.

A member of staff comes out of the back door of the restaurant. She tells me Longshank is "no bother", but other people are known to start fires and defecate behind their bins.

Three men arrive and ask if anybody wants to buy drugs. The atmosphere becomes tense when they realise I'm a journalist. Longshank says we need to leave, so we go back to Linthorpe Road.

Longshank tells me he was given a flat by the local authority, but it was taken off him when he chose to sleep rough instead.

"I had appointments the next morning at the other side of town. I couldn't walk all that way to walk back again; there's no method in the madness."

I ask Longshank if he's using that as an excuse. He tells me it's possible he is.

"I'd miss all of these guys. It's not all doom and gloom, you know? We have a giggle. The streets are addictive, it is an addiction. It's worse than a drug."

In 2018, the North East saw the second biggest rise in rough sleepers, with a 29% increase.

Despite this, the wider region has had the lowest number of rough sleepers in the country since the government began collecting data with an "annual single-night snapshot" in 2010.

But Tracy Guy from Shelter said the true scale of homelessness in the North East is "largely hidden from view" as people are "trapped in temporary accommodation or sofa-surfing with friends and family".

Hundreds of children go missing!!!

Pushpita,special child reporter,England(wp/bbc):::

An average of more than 100 children go missing from council-run care in the North East every year, a BBC investigation has discovered.

Figures from 11 local authorities showed at least 596 youngsters disappeared in the five years up to April this year.

Sunderland City Council had the highest number with 118.

Together for Children, which runs its care services, said it treated incidents "extremely seriously".

Newcastle City Council recorded the second-highest number of missing youngsters across the five years at 110, followed by Durham County Council with 100.

One child in the region was recorded as missing for 30 days, while the youngest to disappear was a 10-year-old.

'So scary'

One teenager from the North East who went into the care system aged eight after family troubles told BBC Newcastle he would often run away and sleep under a bush outside his school.

Speaking anonymously, he said: "I hated it. There were children older than me doing drink and drugs. It was so scary. I was in fear of what could happen or getting hurt.

"I ran away and slept outside school because I had nowhere else safe to go.

"I've had carers who've hit me, I've had carers treating me like rubbish, saying I'm scum.

"I feel like councils need to realise the impact they could have on young people. A good majority of children in care are just being let down."

Children living on the streets were "vulnerable to predators" through grooming and sexual exploitation, warned Laura Christer, of the West End Women and Girls Centre charity in Newcastle.

Anne Longfield, Children's Commissioner for England, described the figures as "really worrying".

She added: "If any children are missing then it's a real concern because they are going to be really vulnerable, but if they are the most vulnerable children - which children in care are - it is even more concerning."

'Robust' response

Sharon Willis, strategic service manager at Sunderland's Together for Children, said: "Many of the young people we look after come to us with a history of risk-taking behaviour as a result of trauma they have experienced through early childhood.

"Our staff teams are skilled in identifying risks and putting in place child-focused strategies for individual young people to minimise risk and ultimately reduce and in some cases prevent missing episodes."

Newcastle City Council said: "Every absence is treated very seriously and ensures our response is robust and meaningful."

Northumberland County Council told the BBC it had "strong partnerships with Northumbria Police, neighbouring local authorities and other partners", while North Tyneside Council said its staff "work tirelessly to help and support children in care, whose safety and welfare is always our number one priority".

Man dies after being pulled from Chasewater Reservoir

Crime reporter(wp/bbc):::

The body of a 21-year-old man has been recovered from a reservoir at a country park.

Police were called to Chasewater Reservoir in Burntwood, Staffordshire, at about 18:00 BST to reports two people were in difficulty.

A 13-year-old girl made it safely out of the water but the man died.

The identities of the people involved are known to officers and their next of kin are being informed, a Staffordshire Police spokesperson said.

The force said they would be offered support by specially trained officers.

Emergency services including West Midlands Ambulance Service, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service and Staffordshire Air Ambulance attended the scene.

Police said the coroner would be informed and appealed for anyone with information to contact them.

Chasewater Country Park and Reservoir is a popular family attraction with walking trails and play areas, with the reservoir being used by boats and water skiers.

On Thursday and Friday, three men's bodies were pulled from the sea off the coast of south-west England.

Two were discovered near Torquay on Thursday and one was found near Prussia Cove, Cornwall, on Friday.

This followed the death of 12-year-old Shukri Yahya Abdi, who drowned in the River Irwell in Bury, Lancashire, on Thursday.

Police said they were treating her death as a "tragic incident" and the girl's family, who live in Bury, said she could not swim.

Brexit and global slowdown hit UK factories in second quarter: BCC

Political reporter(wp/reuters):::

The proportion of British manufacturers reporting a rise in their domestic orders has fallen to its lowest in seven years as Brexit uncertainty and the global slowdown take their toll, a leading employers group said on Monday.

Factories also showed the weakest picture for export orders in four years in the April-June period while a slight pick-up for services firms was not strong enough to make up for a weak start to the year, the British Chambers of Commerce said.

“These results indicate that underlying economic conditions in the UK remain decidedly downbeat,” BCC economist Suren Thiru said.

Britain’s economy began 2019 strongly, but the growth came largely from a surge in stockpiling by manufacturers seeking to protect themselves against the risk of border delays after the original March 29 Brexit deadline.

That deadline has been postponed until Oct. 31, and progress to resolve a stand-off in parliament over how to leave the European Union is on hold while the Conservative Party chooses a new leader who will take over as prime minister.

The BCC’s Quarterly Economic Survey showed price pressures for services firms and manufacturers fell to their lowest level since 2016.

Thiru said the prospect of muted inflation would help consumers and allow the Bank of England to keep interest rates on hold as it waits for the outcome of Britain’s Brexit impasse.

On Sunday another employers group, the Confederation of British Industry, reported that Britain’s private sector had its worst three months in nearly seven years..

Later on Monday, the IHS Markit/CIPS purchasing managers index for the manufacturing sector, which is due to be published at 0830 GMT, is expected to show the factory sector shrank slightly in June.

The BCC survey was based on responses from 6,846 companies - making it the largest of its kind in Britain - and was conducted between May 20 and June 10.

PM contender Hunt sets out plans to prepare Britain for no-deal Brexit

Political reporter(wp/reuters):::
A Jeremy Hunt government would set aside a 6 billion pound ($7.6 billion) war chest to protect fishing and farming, and prepare an emergency budget to cut taxes under plans designed to get Britain ready for a dramatic no-deal Brexit.

Trailing rival Boris Johnson in the race to replace Prime Minister Theresa May, Hunt will say on Monday that Britain needs a leader who can plan now to protect the world’s fifth largest economy if it has to leave the EU without a deal.

“You cannot leave the European Union on a wing and a prayer,” he will say. “Britain deserves better.”

Britain is due to leave the European Union on Oct. 31 and is yet to get a Withdrawal Agreement through parliament. No deal means there would be no transition period, leading to an abrupt departure that is the nightmare scenario for many businesses.

According to excerpts released by Hunt’s office, the foreign secretary will seek to reassure the “sheep farmer in Shropshire” and the “fishermen in Peterhead”.

“I will mitigate the impact of no deal Brexit on you and step in to help smooth those short-term difficulties. If we could do it for the bankers in the financial crisis, we can do it for our fisherman, farmers and small businesses now.”

Having voted to remain in the EU in the 2016 referendum, Hunt has stepped up the rhetoric in recent days over his determination to leave without a deal if needed. He said on Sunday he would tell those businesses put at jeopardy by a disorderly exit that democracy must always come first.

Both Hunt and Johnson have said that in order to bring Brussels back to the negotiating table, the EU must believe Britain is prepared to leave the bloc without a trade deal, a prospect that would also hurt European economies.

If elected prime minister on July 23, Hunt will ramp up the country’s no-deal preparations.

He would lead a task force with powers similar to Britain’s national emergency committee Cobra to coordinate plans, while a new National Logistics Committee would be tasked with keeping goods flowing in and out of the country.

Emergency powers could be granted to ensure ports and airports work in a coordinated optimal way, while the Treasury will start preparations for a “No Deal Brexit Budget” that will bring in a range of options including cutting corporation tax to 12.5% and lowering business rates.

The 6 billion pound fund for the fishing and farming businesses that export to Europe will be designed to soften the blow from any trading changes such as the introduction of tariffs and delays at borders.

“Britain deserves a leader with the courage to not just tell the European Commission he will walk away,” Hunt will say. “But to show them he is willing and able to do so.”

Johnson, the former foreign secretary and London mayor, has also said he will take Britain out of the EU by Oct. 31 with or without a deal, “do or die”.

UK firms hit the brakes as Brexit and bad weather weigh - CBI

Political  reporter(wp/reuters):::

Britain’s private sector has had its worst three months in nearly seven years as the Brexit impasse and poor weather hit economic growth, the Confederation of British Industry said on Sunday.

After a surge earlier this year, caused by companies stockpiling ahead of the original March 29 Brexit deadline, private sector activity in the three months to June contracted at the quickest pace since September 2012.

The balance of firms reporting growth sank to -13%, according to the CBI’s monthly Growth Indicator.

Rain Newton-Smith, the CBI’s chief economist, blamed the weakness on the after-effects of the stockpiling rush, Brexit-related shutdowns in Britain’s car industry and bad weather.

“But underlying activity and confidence is clearly subdued,” she said. “The UK economy is being stifled by uncertainty about the UK’s relationship with the EU. The need for the new prime minister to secure a deal with the EU is urgent.”

Britain’s Conservative Party is due to announce its new leader, who will become the next prime minister, on July 23. Both contenders - former foreign minister Boris Johnson and the current incumbent Jeremy Hunt - have said they are prepared to lead Britain out of the EU without a deal if necessary.

The Bank of England has said it expects zero growth in the economy in the second quarter, reflecting the unwinding of the stockpiling boost in the first three months of the year, uncertainty about the Brexit outcome and slower global growth.

Her Majesty The Queen's Scottish Parliament Speech

Presiding Officer, First Minister, Members of the Scottish Parliament, The Duke of Rothesay and I are pleased to join you today in marking the Twentieth Anniversary of the Scottish Parliament.

We fondly remember that proud day, when new Members gathered in the Assembly Hall to celebrate Scotland’s first parliament in 300 years. 

I have noted on previous occasions my great affection for Scotland, and the many happy and personal connections I enjoy with this wonderful country.  It has been with great pleasure that over the years I have watched Scotland grow and prosper, and have been with you at each stage of your parliamentary life, including on landmark occasions such as today. 

Twenty years on, this chamber continues to be at the centre of Scottish life, as an important forum to engage and unite diverse communities and also a home for passionate debate and discussion.  Through new initiatives you continue to strive to be responsive and accountable to the people you serve, and to engage and involve those who might not otherwise participate in political debate.

It is perhaps worth reflecting that at the heart of the word “Parliament” lies its original meaning: a place to talk. I have no doubt that for most of these last twenty years this striking chamber has provided exactly that, a place to talk. But of course it must also be a place to listen --- a place to hear views that inevitably may differ quite considerably, one from another --- and a place to honour those views. In turn, this occasion today gives us all an opportunity to honour those who help turn talk into action, not just Members of the Scottish Parliament but all those behind the scenes -- the many unseen, unsung individuals who are not afforded recognition by the nature of their role in Parliament, but who nonetheless join together to support parliamentary work in the service of others, and the success of the nation as a whole.

Presiding Officer, as we look to the future, it is my sincere hope that this Parliament, and all those who come to serve in it, will use the power of this chamber to celebrate those invisible pillars of our communities, and follow their example by working tirelessly to improve people’s lives, and strengthen the bonds of friendship and partnership both at home and abroad. 

Today, with the echo of excitement and enthusiasm I encountered twenty years ago, I extend to you all my warmest good wishes on this special anniversary, for the continuing prosperity of the people of Scotland, and for those who represent them in this remarkable Parliament.

ROYAL PRESS-ENGLAND