News | Page 30

A new fire station is set to be built soon in York after a land sale was approved. The Kent Street car park site has been sold to North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority. However concerns were raised at the city council over proposals to locate just one fire engine at Kent Street compared to the two currently at Clifford Street.

Residents in the area were advised to keep their doors and windows closed by Northumbria Police while the fumes were released an intense blaze that hit a North Shields recycling plant. A team of more than 30 officers was required to put out the flames for six hours after the fire had ravaged the centre.

The man voted in as new Labour leader of York City Council a month ago has had his grasp of finances criticised after asking the authority for an early wage payment.

New coastguard proposals will see changes to the Humber centre, which would be one of five sub-centres, operating in daylight hours only. This idea has come under fire and raises ‘serious safety concerns’ according to a report by MPs. The Commons transport committee said the plan lacked support and would lead to a loss of local knowledge.

Chief Constable for South Yorkshire Police Med Hughes said criticisms of impending swingeing cuts created an uneven picture. One police officer in South Yorkshire told the BBC: "Morale is at rock bottom. Is there a future for police officers?

Lecturer Geraint Evans, of Bradford College, said managers there had estimated there would be a 50% fall in students seeking to learn English as a result of budget cuts forcing up fees.

Crews were expected to be at the scene of a big Byker Bank yard blaze well into last night (Thursday). One man was taken to hospital suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation.

A Darlington-based conservatory manufacturer and supplier has gone into administration, which affects some customers as the firm had 300 orders on its books. Amdega was "a victim of the severe downturn in the big-ticket and home-related parts" of retail according to administrators.

Firefighting crews have tackled a large fire at a waste management facility at Thirsk. They were called just after 1922 BST on Tuesday, May 3 to the Todd Waste Management site on Thirsk Industrial Park. So far no-one has been reported as hurt in the blaze. A North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said the fire involved three buildings containing various waste products.

According to the Durham diocese of the Church of England, rising incidents of metal thefts are risking the future of some churches. Church leaders in County Durham are saying costly repairs are hitting many parishes. A Church of England spokesman said: "Theft of metal is a huge problem.

Some car firms are finding it increasing difficult to maintain production commitments due to a lack of parts. Honda has already announced a 50 per cent reduction in production at its Sunderland factory and fellow Japanese maker Nissan has also made cut-backs at its Sunderland plant because of parts shortages.

Three hundred workers’ jobs are at risk after parts of a Wearside leisure group called in administrators. The Principle North East and Principle Yorkshire trading subsidiaries run bars in the north-east of England and the midlands, and have run into problems.