The disorder that burst onto the streets of Middlesbrough last weekend continues. On Thursday night, three cars were senselessly set alight in a field.

What began as a gathering to mourn the passing of Michael Cahill, 23 – one of five occupants killed when their car shot down the A66 in the wrong direction – quickly descended into a banger race, terrifying residents nearby.

The burning vehicles have become a picture of lawlessness that shames a corner of England of which I’m otherwise immensely proud.

As Tees Valley mayor, I represent the people of this region, and I can tell you that most are utterly repulsed by what they have witnessed these past few days. 

They are decent, hard-working people who want nothing more than to get to work, walk their children to school and enjoy their own town centre without fear of crime.

The problem has never been the people of Middlesbrough, but a drugs trade that has sunk its claws into the town, and wannabe gangsters who settle their petty scores in broad daylight with no thought for anyone else.

No amount of polite language should be allowed to disguise what is driving this. These are not misunderstood young men who took a wrong turn. 

They are criminals, plain and simple, chasing money and status through drugs and intimidation.

Cars were set alight in Middlesbrough for one of the occupants of the VW Passat involved in the fat A66 crash

The burnt remains of three cars sit in a scorched field billowing smoke into the sky 

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They have been allowed to flourish because for years the people who hold the levers of policing and criminal justice have been soft where they ought to have been hard.

This is not just a Middlesbrough problem, but symptomatic of Underclass Britain. This is the world where worklessness, drugs and benefits have become a way of life. 

This would rot any community, but what really kills it is the loss of respect for authority and personal responsibility.

There are now whole sections of this country that simply do not fear consequences, for the very good reason that there have not been any. 

They have grown up learning that a police officer can be sworn at without a second thought, that a teacher can be defied, that a court order is a piece of paper to be ignored.

Hand in hand with that goes the slow death of personal responsibility, because in this world everything is always somebody else’s fault. 

The drugs, the violence, the intimidation, the stolen cars driven at lethal speed through streets where children play, all of it gets explained away as the inevitable product of circumstance – ignoring the millions who grew up in exactly the same tough towns and chose instead to work, raise their families properly and keep to the law.

Clips of the cars skidding around the field were captioned ‘Rest in peace Micky’ in reference to Michael Cahill, one of the A66 fatalities

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Scores of blue balloons spelling out ‘Michael’ were released into the sky

It is a national failure that just happened to be on show in the North East last week.

I do not want to hear local politicians talking piously about ‘all the victims’, because on the A66 that night there were two victims and their names were PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough.

Nor do I want to see books of tribute opened for those who lose their lives committing crime, as though recklessness that puts everyone else in danger is a tragedy to be romanticised.

Over the coming weeks and months, the Home Office needs to get a grip by backing the police to flood these areas with officers and then keeping them there for as long as the job takes.

Forces such as Cleveland should be given the fairer share of funding they have been denied for years, so that officers can get back on the streets. 

And courts must lock up the people who wreck lives instead of handing them yet another chance they will only throw back in our faces.

None of this is easy and it can’t be fixed overnight, but the alternative is exactly what the country has just watched, which is families grieving, communities frightened and a political class that keeps quietly telling itself that all of this is happening to somebody else.

Philippa Cresswell, customer experience director at EMR, said: “We recognise how frustrating this disruption will be for customers, particularly following the three Saturdays affected by RMT strike action earlier this month, and we are very sorry for the impact this will have on August bank holiday plans.

The youngster has suffered serious injuries in the attack, with two teenage boys arrested on suspicion of assault and possession of a bladed article

A 13-year-old boy has been stabbed at a Taco Bell in Rochdale town centre this evening, leaving the youngster with serious injuries following the shocking assault.

Two teenagers have been arrested following the incident, Greater Manchester Police said.

A large police presence remains in the town’s Riverside Walk. While the Manchester Evening News reports that crime scene investigation officers are also in the area.

The fast-food restaurant has been cordoned off by the police. Photos show a number of officers around the restaurant while the air ambulance landed nearby, reports

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said: “We were called to reports of a stabbing at 6.09pm on Riverside Walk. Boy, 13, taken to hospital with serious injuries.

“Two teenage boys have been arrested on suspicion of assault and possession of a bladed article. Enquiries are ongoing.”

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“I’ll fight with him, I’ll box him – whatever way he wants, so we’ll see what happens on the night. I’m really looking forward to it. Belfast around Christmas
time is going to be jumping.”

Belfast boxer Anthony Cacace will defend his WBA super featherweight world title in his hometown this December, it has been confirmed.

The 37-year-old achieved his dream of becoming a world champion in Dublin in March, beating James ‘Jazza’ Dickens on a unanimous decision at the 3Arena.

Cacace spoke of wanting to put the title on the line again in his hometown and Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions have confirmed that will happen on December 19 at the O2.

His opponent is Liverpool fighter Nick Ball, who boasts a record of 25-1 – his defeat coming in his last fight as he lost his WBA featherweight title to Brandon Figueroa by TKO.

The English fighter is stepping up in weight to face Cacace in December and he sees this as a ‘massive opportunity’.

“He’s a solid champion, it’s going to be a good fight,” said Ball. “It’s a massive opportunity at a new weight.”

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Cacace hasn’t fought in Belfast since May 2023 and he is expecting ‘a good scrap’.

“Nick’s a great fighter, ex-world champion, so I expect a good scrap. He’s a hard man, so let’s do it,” Cacace told DAZN.

“I’ll fight with him, I’ll box him – whatever way he wants, so we’ll see what happens on the night. I’m really looking forward to it.

“Belfast around Christmas time is going to be jumping, so I’m looking forward to it.”

The Belfast fight night is expected to be broadcast on DAZN.

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The final properties at Abbey View, a Barratt Homes site in the coastal town, are Kingsville-style houses priced from £259,995.

They offer three-storey living with four bedrooms, and are marketed as suitable for families and young professionals.

Steven Ball, sales director at Barratt Homes North East, said: “The final homes at Abbey View present a fantastic opportunity for a prospective buyer to find their ideal home in the vibrant community of Whitby.

“We urge anyone looking to secure a home at Abbey View, or buy property in North Yorkshire, to speak with our dedicated sales team about available homes, deals and schemes.”

Located between the North Yorkshire Moors and the coast, Abbey View residents can enjoy coastal walks, restaurants, and Whitby’s historic harbour.

The Kingsville homes feature a ground-floor kitchen and family area, a first-floor lounge and en suite bedroom, and two further bedrooms and a family bathroom on the top floor.

Barratt Homes is offering schemes to help buyers move, including Deposit Boost, where the developer may contribute up to 5 per cent of the purchase price towards a deposit.

For more information about the development, visit the website at Abbey View.

Police cordoned off Taco Bell in Rochdale after the attack with a major investigation underway

A 13-year-old boy has been left with serious injuries after being stabbed in Taco Bell in Rochdale. Officers from Greater Manchester Police were called to reports of the serious incident at around 6pm on Saturday, August 19, at the restaurant on Riverside Walk.

A boy, aged 13, was taken to hospital with serious injuries. Two teenage boys have since been arrested on suspicion of assault and possession of a bladed article. Enquiries are ongoing, GMP say.

A man and his family, who were dining at the restaurant, witnessed the incident. Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, David Lane told of the ‘horrific moment’ and how his actions helped save the boy.

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“We sat down and ordered our food at around 5.50pm, then a load of kids came in and started fighting,” he said. “I got up and went to one of the crew members at Taco Bell and asked them to kick them out because my family were there.

“I told them to lock the door, and they never did. About ten minutes later, the crew member who was guarding the door was pushed by one of them, then around 20 to 25 youths ran in, some with knives.”

Mr Lane said that at the time his son was in the toilet, and left shortly before the group made their way to the bathroom.

“I heard a load of crying and screaming. That’s when the lad got stabbed,” he continued. “I grabbed a load of napkins and put pressure on the wound. It looked like he lost a lot of blood. It was a hectic scene.”

Emergency services quickly arrived on the scene. Pictures show an ambulance and a number of police cars stationed outside Taco Bell.

“My wife was looking after our children at the time. It was horrific. If it wasn’t for my actions, I think he would have died,” Mr Lane said. “My children shouldn’t have to see that.

“He got taken away in an ambulance. The place then got closed down by the police.”

The restaurant was evacuated and remains closed as enquires are ongoing.

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said: “We were called to reports of a stabbing at 6.09pm on Riverside Walk. Boy, 13, taken to hospital with serious injuries.

“Two teenage boys have been arrested on suspicion of assault and possession of a bladed article. Enquiries are ongoing.”

The Catholic Church forced unmarried mothers to put their babies up for adoption much more recently than previously thought, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Forced adoptions were believed to have ended in the 1970s – but it has emerged the Catholic Church was still supporting the practice at least into the eighties.

There were 250,000 forced adoptions up until 1976 when the Adoption Act 1976 apparently put an end to Britain’s post-war scandal – it is unclear how many more may have suffered the same fate after that date.

But Julia Macklin, a financial consultant, told the MoS how her Catholic parents and their parish priest pressured her into having her baby daughter adopted using a Catholic charity after she became pregnant aged 15 in the summer of 1982.

She revealed how her late father, who was a teacher in a Catholic school in Manchester at the time, was told by the priest he would never get promoted if it was known his daughter was an unmarried mother.

She is understood to be the first mother to speak out publicly about being forced to give her child up for adoption in the eighties.

Julia was forced to end the relationship with the father of her unborn daughter, a local teenage boy she had met as a 14-year-old at a fairground. 

She was then taken on a visit to a Catholic-run mother and baby home in Manchester in an attempt to persuade her to go ahead with an adoption. At the home, she witnessed many other young women being forced to put their babies into adoption.

The financial consultant, has now told the MoS how her Catholic parents and their parish priest pressured her into putting her daughter up for adoption

Ms Macklin gave birth to Siobhan when she was 15 years old. Pictured aged 14 with her baby brother

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After months of pressure, she finally agreed to the adoption, she gave birth to her daughter, Siobhan, now aged 43, in March, 1983 at St Mary’s Hospital in Manchester.

Julia was not allowed to again see her boyfriend, who she had known for almost two years by then. Siobhan was taken away two weeks after her birth for adoption by a married Catholic couple.

The mother and daughter were only reunited in 2001 when Siobhan turned 18 and was legally entitled to know who her biological mother was. Julia had repeatedly tried to track her down but was denied contact by the charity.

In July, the outgoing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer formally apologised to the 250,000 women in the UK who were forced or coerced by the Catholic Church, Church of England, social services and the NHS into having their babies adopted between 1949 and 1976 because of prejudice against unmarried mums. 

But his apology fell short of including women like Julia who suffered forced adoption long after the Adoption Act in 1976, designed to end forced adoptions.

Julia, who is now aged 60 and lives in Marple, Greater Manchester, said her daughter was put into adoption by the Catholic Children’s Rescue Society in Salford, a charity which in 2012 transferred its operation to Caritas Diocese of Salford, another Catholic charity. It closed its adoption support services in 2022.

Her daughter’s adoption records are now held by Salford City Council. Julia is trying to obtain the records which she believes will prove she was coerced into giving up her daughter. She hopes that will help rid her of the stigma that she gave her up.

Julia, who has taken part with Siobhan in a BBC documentary called Stolen Babies, said: ‘The Catholic priest came to my parents’ house in 1982 and between him and my mum and dad they told me what was going to happen. 

Julia was not allowed to again see her boyfriend, who she had known for almost two years, after her daughter was put up for adoption

Ms Macklin and Siobhan pictured resting together on a fence in Marple, Greater Manchester

The mother and daughter were only reunited in 2001 when Siobhan turned 18 and was legally entitled to know who her biological mother was

‘I didn’t want to give up my baby for adoption because my baby brother was just two and a half at the time and I knew how painful that was going to be.

‘But I had no choice. My mum and dad were devout Catholics but even though they were not shallow people, they were burdened by the shame and there was a fear my father had that it would affect his career.

‘The priest took me to a mother and baby home to show me how things would be and I saw many other young girls just like me but I didn’t go the home and gave birth instead at St Mary’s in 1983 and then my baby was taken away.

‘I tried to find her but I was told no contact was allowed and I was stonewalled by the Catholic Children’s Rescue Society. It was all totally wrong and the more I think about it, the more outraged I feel that they did this to us and got away with it. She belonged with me, and I will never, ever recover from the loss as long as I live.

‘It was a forced adoption made possible by the Catholic Church and I deserve an apology from the church and from the government because Keir Starmer’s apology didn’t really include women like me whose children were taken away in the 1980s. 

‘I still live with the stigma that I gave my baby up when I know I didn’t – she was taken.

‘I haven’t been able to tell my story until now because I didn’t want to hurt my parents. But because they are no longer with us, I am able to speak out and draw attention to the fact it was still happening in the 1980s.’

Siobhan, a health and care manager in Manchester, added: ‘There is no way my mum would have given me up out of choice and I have come to understand that over the years and what she was up against. 

‘My adoptive parents are amazing but I have learned a lot about what my mum went through as well and I believe we are both owed an explanation as to why forced adoptions were still happening in the 1980s long after they are supposed to have ended.’

The Catholic Church said: ‘The Catholic Church’s apology for historical practices of adoption was issued in 2016 and it apologised especially for the hurt caused by agencies acting in the name of the Catholic Church.

‘The apology still stands and the Church and Catholic organisations that are providing post adoption support continue to reflect on how we respond in sensitive and meaningful ways to those mothers and children affected.’

A spokesperson for Caritas Diocese of Salford, which took over from Catholic Children’s Rescue Society in Salford, said: ‘We are deeply sorry to hear about Julia’s experience and recognise the lasting pain that historic adoption practices may have caused for many people and their families.

‘Caritas Salford was not established at the time and we are not able to comment on individual circumstances or decisions made in relation to historic adoptions.’

*Stolen Babies airs on BBC Scotland on Tuesday (September 1) and on BBC 2 across the UK on Wednesday (September 2) and is on the iPlayer from tomorrow (Monday, August 31).

Moses Itauma was stretchered out of the ring as his world title dream was crushed by Filip Hrgovic in London.

The 21-year-old sensation was taken to hospital immediately after his ninth round stoppage in an extraordinary contest at the O2 Arena.

His promoter Frank Warren also suggested he had suffered a leg injury after punching himself out to the point of exhaustion.

Itauma was aiming to become the second youngest heavyweight world champion in history up against the experienced Croatian with the vacant IBF title on the line.

Itauma blasted Hrgovic with brutal shots throughout the first half of the fight, winning every round in a dominant display.

Hrgovic’s iron chin absorbed the biggest and baddest shots Itauma threw, however.

The Chatham fighter had won all 14 of his previous bouts, 12 of those via knockout, but there were questions how he might cope when taken into deep waters against an experienced and durable operator like his opponent.

The youngster had never fought beyond the sixth round before tonight with his tank quickly emptying in the eighth round where Hrgovic smelt blood.

Itauma was suddenly spent in the ninth, barely able to stand up with the fight swinging dramatically in Hrgovic’s favour. Itauma continued to swing, but was no longer finding the target as he staggered wildly around the ring.

Hrgovic saw his opportunity with only the ropes holding Itauma upright as heavy blows came in.

With nothing left in his utterly exhausted fighter, Itauma’s trainer Ben Davison mercifully threw in the towel just as referee Howard Foster stepped in to stop the fight.

Itauma was immediately attended to by the ringside doctor and paramedics and was carried backstage on a stretcher to be taken to hospital.

Itauma’s promoter Frank Warren later revealed his fighter was struggling with a leg injury during the contest.

‘This was an unbelievable fight tonight. The champ prevailed and did what he had to do. Moses [Itauma] gave everything, he has a leg injury. He has to go back to the drawing board and he can come again,’ Warren said.

‘Towards the end, Moses wasn’t trying to hold or anything he was throwing punches and he got clipped. He started off well and what happened, happened. That’s boxing. It was a great fight.’

Warren added in the post-fight press conference: ‘Moses has gone to hospital. He has done something to his leg.

‘Obviously he has to be checked over, it was a brutal fight.

‘He did something to his leg and he was knackered as well. It was a very fast-paced fight.’

MORE: Moses Itauma slapped by Filip Hrgovic after pushing opponent off stage at chaotic weigh-in

Moses Itauma has a rare story behind his ascent.

Itauma was born in Slovakia to a Slovak mother and a Nigerian father, but was brought up from an early age in England, after moving  to Kent.

Originally, his parents had hoped that he might become a doctor or lawyer, but instead he followed his older brother, Karol, into boxing. While some parents might have been sceptical about that career choice, Itauma’s family became supportive when they realised his talent.

“There’s a lot of expectations on my shoulders to carry the flag of British boxing. I just have to live up to it,” Itauma told the BBC.

Itauma was spotted by Frank Warren’s son, Francis, as a teenager, with the Queensberry man noting his talent as he sparred with professional fighters, where he was able to get the better of far more experienced, and much older, opponents.

Boxing journalist, the excellent Gareth A. Davies, notes that while we can also see his exceptional talent, there is still a feeling that he has to show us more. All his wins have come so quickly, and with so much more to spare, that we may yet have seen him truly tested.

Davies wrote in The Telegraph earlier this month: “Moses Itauma was spectacular in demolishing old warrior Dillian Whyte here in just 119 seconds of utter dominance, but there is still one thing missing for the 20-year-old: rounds in the bank.

“In thirteen career fights, Itauma has fought just 26 rounds, stopping eleven of those victims.”

Will Hrgovic last any longer than previous opponents?