Other News In Brief

Fourth Found Guilty In Biker Murder

A fourth man has been found guilty of murdering Hells Angel biker Gerry Tobin on the M40 in Warwickshire last year. Malcolm Bull, 53, was found guilty of the offence and a firearms charge at Birmingham Crown Court on Tuesday. Simon Turner, 41, of Nuneaton, and Dane Garside, 42, of Coventry were found guilty of murder on Monday. Sean Creighton, 44, of Coventry, has already admitted murdering Mr Tobin. The jury was sent home without reaching verdicts on three other men.

£1bn To Accelerate Key Transport Projects

An extra £1 billion will be invested in major transport projects next year to stimulate the economy by accelerating Government plans to cut congestion and significantly increase rail capacity, Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon confirmed today. This includes the £700m fiscal stimulus announced in yesterday's Pre-Budget Report to make the most of Britain's rail and road networks, as well as £300m of new Government funding to speed up the delivery of improved transport links to key UK airports and ports. They will also offer more environmentally friendly options for transporting freight.

Newcastle Firm Joins Dubai Business Delegation

Newly appointed Business Ambassador, Lord Digby Jones will head up a delegation of more than 200 UK companies in Dubai this week for 'Britain in the Region' - a unique event taking place this Thursday (27 November) for UK companies to learn the "ins and outs" of doing business in the booming Middle East and North African (MENA) markets. This is the largest-ever mission to the region organised by UK Trade & Investment and shows the UK's commitment to strengthening trade ties with the MENA region. The UK and the MENA markets have a long and established business relationship. The region is extremely important through its investment into the UK economy and as one of the most important destinations for UK trade and investment.

Police Put Foot Down On Vehicle Crime

A crackdown on vehicle crime across Wigan and Leigh has resulted in three arrests, the seizure of four untaxed vehicles and the recovery of a stolen vehicle. Operation Battenberg, which took place on Friday 21 November, was a multi-agency initiative that saw extra resources being used to support the police’s ongoing work. Officers made 11 joint visits with Wigan Council to second-hand outlets and scrap-metal dealers to target those handling stolen goods and left crime prevention leaflets on 122 vehicles that had valuables on display. A facility was provided at Asda and Sainsbury’s petrol forecourts in Leigh where 32 people had valuables registered on the Immobilise website and four satellite-navigation devices were security-marked. In addition, 139 security-screw kits were supplied to car owners to secure their number plates.

(JM)