HMS Brocklesby Wins Minesweeper Accolade

HMS Brocklesby has been awarded the accolade of Britian's best minehunter for its work in the waters off Libya last year. The ship was singled out as the most effective mine warfare vessel in the Royal Navy - out of a fleet of 15 - for her months-long stint in the Gulf of Sirte which saw her blow up a mine laid by pro-Government forces as they sought to strangle the city of Misurata. A few days after HMS Liverpool was rewarded for her seven-month stint by being named the fleet's best destroyer, the crew of HMS Brocklesby collected a similar trophy: Britain's best minehunter. Until relieved by HMS Bangor, the Portsmouth-based warship kept the sea lanes to the besieged port of Misurata open alongside other NATO minehunters. That mission saw the ship's company involved in live mine-clearance operations within range of enemy artillery and rockets for the first time since being deployed to the Al Faw peninsula in Iraq in 2003.

Police Meet Shop Owners For Shopwatch

Police and retailers in Wallsend are meeting to build up more support for the town's Shopwatch scheme. Officers from Wallsend Neighbourhood Policing Team have invited local retailers to get behind the crime prevention scheme which gives advice to staff about reducing shop thefts. Officers are calling the meeting a retailers' version of 'cuppa with a coppa'. Police have arranged the meeting on Wednesday, February 8, from 11am to 1pm, at Acorn Computers on High Street East. Officers will meet informally with shop managers over a cup of tea to discuss the benefits of joining Shopwatch and the support the scheme offers retailers. They will be happy to answer any questions. Neighbourhood Beat Managers PC John Tierney and Laura Batey are encouraging stores, particularly in the High Street East area which had a lower take up, to sign up.

Man Arrested Over £20,000 Fishing Robbery

Police have arrested a man in connection with the high value burglary at Chatton trout fisheries, North Northumberland. Police said the arrest followed an incident on December 15 when thieves broke into the lodge building on the site and stole more than 25 specialist fishing rods, a large quantity of polo shirts, fleeces, jackets, fishing equipment bags, boxes of fishing flies and fishing lines. The value of the stolen items was believed to be in excess of £20,000. Officers in Berwick carried out enquiries into the theft and on Wednesday, February 1, executed a search warrant at a premises in the New Hartley area of Cramlington. During the search a 52-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of burglary and officers seized an amount of fishing equipment - including rods, reels, flies and other accessories that are suspected as having been stolen in the Chatton burglary. The 52-year-old has been bailed pending further enquiries.

(DW/GK)