i

P T ^ i GiSar'diani Thursday, Jiily 31, 1997 3

Itation in line or a acelift

EST Monkseaton Staon is g e t t i n g a 00,000 revamp, M e t r o Ksses Nexus announced d;iy. The old B r i t i s h R a i l ation, which has not id a major refurbishiciit since the M e t r o 111- opened in 1980, w i l l live both structural and I'corative works. The proposal was due ) IH- (li:;cussed by m e m (Ts of the T y n e and Vcar Passenger Transjori A u t h o r i t y this i i o n i i i i g , w i t h bosses fcoiiiiiicnding a p p r o v a l . 11 ranted, the :i92,(K)() sol aside w i l l )ay IO r lighting mprovemcnls, new ijlazing, new p l a t f o r m ;anopies, new hamlrails on the ramps aiul external landscaping. The station has been open since 1936, but recent housing developments have boosted the number o f passengers using the station, w i t h figures s h o w i n g a 29 per cent rise i n r e v e n u e since 1994.
I'l i i i l c f . IIIr 1(11 Ifil !. llictt*ioli pill

appeal
A R E N E W E D plea is g o i n g out to parents w h o put children's lives in danger by irresponsible p a r k i n g outside school gates. As N o r t h Tyneside C o u n c i l embarks on a p i l o t safety scheme to put the brakes on careless parkers, one counc i l l o r urged parents to w a l k their children to school each morning. Keep-clear markings outside schools are advisory o n l y and largely ignored by parents dropp i n g o f f and picking up their at the gates, Tuesday night's environment committee heard. But the council is to introduce traffic regulation orders so the markings can be enforced by police outside the schools earmarked in the p i l o t scheme. The schools are Southridge First in W h i t l e y Bay, Goathland P r i m a r y i n Longbenton and St M a r y ' s Primary in Forest H a l l . T h e crack-down w i l l be c l o s e l y m o n i t o r e d and, i f successful, w i l l extend to other schools. C o u n M u r i e l Green
*;tiiit' "P'.ii

Former IRA spy hits out

F O R M E R British G o v ernment I R A spy M a r t i n M c G a r t l a n d , who lived a secret d o u b l e l i f e i n N o r t h Tyneside h i d i n g from the terrorists, claims he is being harassed by police. McGartland, 27, had his new identity as M a r tin Ashe b l o w n open d u r i n g a court case in Newcastle in M a y , where he was found not g u i l t y to a charge relating to d r i v i n g offences. He is now on the r u n in the North East, and he remains the I R A ' s top target. But his efforts since the case to gain another identity and police protection have so far failed as have fresh police efforts to prosecute h i m for another alleged d r i v ing offence, the N e w s G u a r d i a n can e x c l u sively reveal. McGartland t o l d the N e w s Guardian he was stopped in S w a l w e l l o n July 14 and accused o f driving without a seatbelt, w h i c h he denied. He said he was then arrested and taken to W h i c k h a m police station and told c r i m i n a l proceedings w o u l d f o l l o w . But when the letter did arrive at his s o l i c i tors Alderson Dodds in B l y t h it said: " H a v i n g reviewed the matter the most appropriate course o f action w o u l d be to caution y o u . " M r M c G a r t l a n d said he was furious: " I t ' s a complete j o k e . T h e y ' r e completely taking liberties on me." In a letter to A l d e r s o n Dodds, the police s o l i c i tor said: " Y o u r c l i e n t has been adyised that it is the considered o p i n ion o f the authorities that the current threat against your client is not s u c h as t o require protection. " H e has also been advised that he has an important part to play in h i s o w n s e c u r i t y by m a i n t a i n i n g as l o w a profile as possible whilst his request for a new identity is being dealt w i t h . His continued use o f the media does not assist this." M r M c G a r t l a n d said: "They are t r y i n g to l i m i t my freedom as an ordinary member o f the public. Had they not taken me to court I w o u l d n ' t need extra security." A N o r t h u m b r i a Police spokeswoman said: '"We can c o n f i r m that M r McGartland was stopped by police for f a i l i n g to wear a seatbelt. The matter has been dealt with by the local commander in accordance w i t h current practice." Tynemouth M P A l a n C a m p b e l l has already taken up M c G a r t l a n d ' s case w i t h the H o m e Secretary Jack Straw, and B l y t h Valley M P Ronnie Campbell is n o w j o i n i n g the c a m p a i g n after receiving complaints f r o m his n e i g h b o u r s , who fear they are at risk from the I R A .

SUPER swimmer Andrew Gibson

Andrew swims to Olympic success

A WHITLEY
III! Mil',

B a y athlitiMii-

iriiiiiircl

silvers in the 50m buti r i l l v anil a rclav event

I tlll-l*,l ,,lll

South Tyneside S w i n mipR C l u b , w h o has nu

ltt*M>l Altt(lf<M''H I.,I..,