Graffiti relating to terror group ISIS appears in Newcastle's West End

Messages reading 'Turkish ISIS Supporters' were spray painted onto businesses prompting concern about tensions in the area

Newcastle’s West End was blighted by three graffiti messages that appeared overnight about the terrorist group ISIS.

Business owner Najeb Kosar woke up to find the words ‘Turkish ISIS Supporters’ spray-painted onto an outside wall of his shop on Thursday morning.

It was one of three messages relating to the terrorist organisation, which most recently beheaded British cab driver Alan Henning, that were spotted in the area after they appeared overnight.

The graffiti has been condemned by local residents and campaigners calling for better understanding between Muslims and the wider community.

Najeb, 39, said: “I opened my shop and quite a few people were standing around holding their mouth when they were reading it.”

The shop owner, from Afghanistan, has lived in the area for the last 15 years and said he did not understand why his shop had been defaced with the writing.

He said: “We have no idea why they have written it. I run a business, I’m not in politics. It shouldn’t be anything to do with us.

“I don’t think they have targeted me personally, they are passing on their message to others.”

The shop owner called the police non-emergency number 101 and the message was quickly washed away by Newcastle City Council staff.

But it is unclear whether the building was defaced in an anti-Muslim act or whether it was a pro-ISIS message. One version of the graffiti appeared to read ‘Turkish ISIS supporters. Long life to you’.

Iftikar Akram, owner of NE Smartphones in the area, said he did not understand what the message was trying to achieve.

“I don’t know what that means. Is it other people trying to call the Turkish terrorists? I don’t know the purpose of it,” he said.

But the message has caused concern that tension could develop in the area.

Najeb, who has lived in the area for 15 years, added that he has never seen any trouble in the community.

He said: “It’s a big Muslim community around here, but there are also people from all over Europe. Everyone is nice and friendly, people are living peacefully.”

One man, who did not want to be named, said: “I have lived here eight months and as far as I can see, there is no problem between the Muslim community and the wider community in the West end. But someone is trying to stir up trouble.”

Abu Tayeb KhairDeen, founder of Islamic Diversity, an organisation promoting better understanding of the Islamic faith, said he believed the incident was an anti-Muslim action.

He said the graffiti was a “relatively minor” incident in comparison to some of the most violent aggression he has seen against Muslims but added it could cause problems.

“Most people are disgusted by it, whether they’re Muslims or non-Muslims. It’s uncalled for. It sends a level of intimidation to the local community,” he said.

“It increases tensions in the sense that certainly some of the youth may feel they need to retaliate. There’s a possibility of backlash.”

He added that those who spray-painted the message had engaged in criminal activity and should be brought to justice.

Northumbria Police is now carrying out enquiries about the graffiti.

Neighbourhood Inspector Barrie Joisce said: “Graffiti not only causes an issue for individuals but it impacts on wider communities, particularly when it’s sprayed in places which are passed daily by the public.

“It’s an eyesore and a criminal offence and offenders could find themselves in court. I’d urge anyone who recognises tags or has information about those involved in graffiti in the area to get in touch with police so we can investigate.”

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Children as young as nine on Teesside being taught the dangers of MUSLIM grooming

Children as young as nine are being taught about the dangers of grooming to avoid becoming sex exploitation victims.

Charity Evaluate Tees Valley has delivered sex and relationship education in primary and secondary schools for 10 years.

But project manager, and mum-of-two Annalise Higgins, of Linthorpe, Middlesbrough, decided it was time to expand their sessions to include one on subject after the issue was highlighted in a recent review.

A study by Middlesbrough Council revealed children as young as 11 are being groomed for possible sexual exploitation in Middlesbrough.

An action plan has now been drawn up to tackle the issue, with one teacher in every Middlesbrough secondary school being trained to spot the signs of grooming.

Annalise said: “It’s great that Ray Mallon and the council are reviewing how they can stop it from the perpertrators’ end, but I’m thinking about how we can come at it from the other side and help stop victims becoming victims in the first place.

“I thought it would be a good idea if Evaluate could respond to this and look at equipping young people to spot signs of grooming and how to handle it if they recognise the signs in themselves or a friend.

“Quite often, the victims don’t realise they’re victims. More often, it’s people on the outside of it who notice.

“We’re launching a new hour-long session for Key Stage 3 students covering this issue, which we’ll be ready to roll out in January, and we’ve redveloped our Year 7 session to cover things like online safety and sexting.

“Sex education needs to keep up with the times and tackle current issues like this.

“We need to give young people permission to question what’s happening, realise they’re worth the world and ask for help.

“Our sessions give the young people someone to talk to openly, who they won’t then have to face every day, and teachers are then very good at building on what we’ve already put in place in their own sessions.

“I’m also debating whether to create a session aimed at parents, as I don’t think many know enough about the dangers or the signs either.”

For more information on the programmes, search Evaluate Teesvalley on Facebook, or visit www.evaluate.org.uk .


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Middlesbrough at breaking point over asylum seeker numbers

A TOWN flooded by a sudden surge of asylum seekers can no longer cope, angry locals claimed yesterday.

New figures revealed Middlesbrough has topped England's asylum seeker league with the town becoming the first in the country to breach Government accommodation guidelines.

The amount of cheap housing in the Teesside town means it has become a magnet for penniless arrivals seeking sanctuary in the UK.

The Government insists no local authority area should need to house more than one asylum seeker per 200 of population.

But a Middlesbrough Council report has revealed almost 1,000 asylum seekers are currently being housed in the town, which has a population estimated at 138,400 - putting it almost one-and-a-half times the Government limit.

Asylum seekers are generally housed at taxpayers' expense homes while the Home Office decides whether to grant them asylum.

The schools and nurseries are full because of all the foreign kids who have come into the area
Stephanie Mullins
The process can take up to a year and a total of 982 asylum seekers are currently housed in paid-for accommodation in Middlesbrough.

In the report to be discussed by the Labour-run authority next week, Richard Horniman, economic development manager at Middlesbrough Council says the town has seen a rise in the number of asylum seekers through Government-funded regional contracts.

He said it was down to "lower value housing" offered in parts of the borough - which make it cheaper to house people.

The report highlights Gresham and Stockton districts as receiving the largest influx.

Yesterday locals told of the dramatic strain this has put on local services.

Stephanie Mullins, 37, said she was struggling to find a nursery place for her son Brodie King, two.

She said: "The schools and nurseries are full because of all the foreign kids who have come into the area. I have been applying for ages to get Brodie in somewhere around here and there just aren't any places.

"There needs to be some kind of control put in place in the town because local people are starting to feel part of a minority. In the past year it has been very noticeable that number of Poles, Kurds and Romanians have shot up."

Her mother Lynn, 60, said: "The area has changed completely over the years, the sense of community has gone.

"It feels as though people are just passing through and whenever houses become available they are snapped up to house asylum seekers rather than given to local people."

Graham Watts, 54, a retired bus driver, said: "I've had a pacemaker fitted and went through a triple heart bypass but I can't get an appointment with my doctor.

"I have to call and ask for an appointment and then they ring me back and assess whether or not I deserve one based on my symptoms. It's all down to the number of foreign people who have poured into the area.

"The schools and doctors can hardly cope. If I am lucky enough to get an appointment the waiting room is invariably packed with people of every nationality except British.

"I've lived here 25 years and it used to be a nice neighbourhood with lots of elderly people. But as they died off their houses were bought up by private landlords who want to fill them with foreigners."

Standing outside Polski Sklep convenience store Julie-Anne Ward, 44, said: "You just have to look around to see the effect it's had on the area, I feel like a foreigner in my own country.

"You walk along this road and see all the old stores being replaced by Polish shops and shops run by Kurds and every nation under the sun except ours."

Charmaine Kearns, 27, added: "It's like living in a foreign country, you hardly hear anyone speaking English and there's no chance of finding a house to rent unless you're an asylum seeker.

"My partner and brother would do anything to find work but it's now even harder to get a job because of all the foreign people who are now looking for jobs as well, they're happy to take less than the minimum wage and there are plenty people who will employ them on the cheap."

But Justice First, a Stockton-based charity that supports refugees and asylum seekers and helps them to build new lives in the UK, said current conditions for asylum seekers were tough,

The charity's manager, Dr Pete Widlinski said it was vital that communities like Middlesbrough did not "turn their backs on extremely vulnerable people."

He said: "I do understand people in Middlesbrough have concerns about immigration but these are people who are literally fleeing for their lives and as a civil society and a community we need to be able to offer them refuge."

The report, due to be discussed at a meeting next Monday, recommends the setting up of a regional "strategic migration partnership".

It also said information about economic migrants is "harder to track" as there is no central register and the impact of such migrants is "largely unknown".

The partnership would be led by Middlesbrough Council and funded by the Home Office to manage issues surrounding migration as well as carry out research the economic and social impact.

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Tempers flare as bid to shut controversial £3m HALAL slaughterhouse is rejected

Redcar and Cleveland councillors agree to continue considering compulsory purchase order at heated meeting

Furious residents have hit out after a bid to immediately shut down a controversial Boosbeck abattoir was rejected.

Protesters were asked to leave the Redcar and Cleveland Council meeting today as tempers flared over efforts to deal with the facility.

Councillors voted 31 to 13 to back a move to continue considering a compulsory purchase order while also carrying out negotiations with owner Banaras Halal Meats to move its facility from the High Street in the East Cleveland village.

However, a separate amendment calling for the slaughterhouse’s immediate closure was rejected by councillors after legal officer Richard Frankland said such a move would “fall at the first hurdle” and be a “waste of money”.

The £3m slaughterhouse has faced major opposition from locals after plans were unveiled in 2011 to revive the dormant facility.

Despite a two-year court battle, the site began operating last February.

Locals have complained about the effect on residents, including the noise, smell and traffic.

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NOTE: We warned the council that we were watching this story and hoped that residents concerns were taken into consideration when the decision was made. Unfortunately it seems the residents concerns do not matter to the local council, therefor the NE EDL organisers will be having a meeting very soon where we will decide if we are going to hold a 'regional demo' against this slaughterhouse. 

Watch this blog for our decision.