Hartlepool Borough Council ‘To Press Ahead’ With Land Sale, Despite Developer Altering the Number of Houses Being Built on the Site... More Homes Planned as Hartlepool Council Progresses Sale of Nineacres Site 10th August 2026 Hartlepool Borough Council is preparing to move forward with the sale of a substantial parcel of land on the outskirts of the town, despite the proposed developer changing both the number of homes and the balance between private and affordable housing o

MSP legal Services LLP in Victoria Rd Hartlepool Hartlepool Solicitor Struck Off as Former Law Firm Faces Liquidation.. 7th August 2026 A Hartlepool solicitor previously investigated over the alleged misuse of client funds has now been banned from the profession & struck off the Solicitors Register — while the law firm at the centre of the case is itself being wound up. Fiona Jane Smith, formerly of MSP Legal Services LLP was connected to the Hartlepool law firm which was shu

Gross Misconduct Finding After Durham PC Accessed Woman’s Personal Records Former Durham Police Officer Would Have Been Dismissed After Misusing Force Database to Pursue Woman 6th August 2026 A former Durham Constabulary officer has been found guilty of gross misconduct after using a police computer system to obtain private information about a woman he was interested in pursuing a sexual relationship with. Police Constable Stephen Holmes resigned from Durham Constabulary on 1

Social Housing Rules Tightened as Durham Waiting List Passes 10,000 New Durham Key Options policy will introduce a two-year local connection test, tougher rules on refused offers and revised priority bands from February 2027... 4th August 2026 Thousands of housing applicants could be set to see their priority on the register reassessed when Durham County Council introduces a controversial new allocations policy in February 2027. Durham County Council has approved a major over

Aerial View of the Proposed Site 5th August 2026 A long-vacant industrial site close to Hartlepool town centre could be brought back into use under plans for four new commercial buildings containing 16 separate business units. Proposals have been drawn up to redevelop the former Durham Paper Mill site on Burn Road, within Hartlepool’s Belle Vue industrial area which the Teesside & Durham post exclusively reported on back in January 2026. The scheme, prepared on behalf of appl

Open Jar Assault Investigation: Man Arrested on Suspicion of Section 18 GBH... 4th August 2026 A 27-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm following an alleged assault involving security staff at the Open Jar festival in Seaton Carew. Cleveland Police became aware of the incident on Sunday, 2 August, when video footage posted online & shared to the Teesside & Durham Post appeared to show a man being assaulted by security personnel during t

Former Cleveland Police Officer Featured on Appeared on Channel 5's "Inside the Force" Accused of Relationship With Vulnerable Woman... 3rd August 2026 A former Cleveland Police officer who appeared in Channel 5’s fly-on-the-wall documentary Inside the Force: 24/7 is due to face a misconduct hearing over allegations he entered into an inappropriate sexual relationship with a vulnerable woman he met through his policing duties. Former PC 2878 Ben Burgess, who has since resigne

The video posted online has gone viral through local social media groups 2nd August 2026 Disturbing footage understood to have been recorded following Saturday’s Open Jar Tribute Festival in Seaton Carew has prompted calls for an investigation into the conduct of people believed to have been working as the events security team. Video supplied exclusively to the Teesside & Durham Post shows an unnamed individual on the ground while several people wearing high-visibility clothi