When ceremonial spade missing for 13 years was returned

A CEREMONIAL spade and casket that had been missing for 13 years was returned to its rightful owners in December 2009. The engraved shovel was used to cut the turf when building first started on the new town of Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, in 1948. Read more: The Darlington kids' club helping birthplace of the railways to steam into the future When it went missing in 1996, John Farquhar, the former clerk of Great Aycliffe Town Council, was sacked and accused of theft – a charge he denied up until his death four years ago.

In November 2009, the missing spade was seized during a police raid at the late council boss's country cottage, and last night it was formally handed back to the town council. Council leader Bob Fleming said: "I would like to thank the police force for recovering this spade and the casket containing the first sod that was cut many years ago. "It's part of our history and we are so pleased to see it back where it belongs.



" Police recovered the spade from the loft of Mr Farquhar's former home, in Houghton-le-Slide, near Darlington. Detective Sergeant Sean Jackson, from Darlington CID, formally handed the artefacts to Mayor of Great Aycliffe, Mary Dalton, at a council meeting. Forecasters warned further blizzards and freezing temperatures were on the way, after heavy snowfalls hit the region in mid-December 2009.

North Yorkshire bore the brunt of the weather, with 39 schools closed and many routes left impassable by snow and ice. Forecasters predicted up to five centimetres of snow will fall, while temperatures look likely to plummet well below freezing. Youngsters showed they had the recipe for business success by winning a competition, in December 2009.

Year three pupils at Belmont Junior School, in Durham City, were given £50 per class to plan and make products they would like to sell. Read next: The winning class made £50 profit from the sale of bracelets with Santa's face on them, wind chimes and tea lights. "They were thrilled, " said headteacher Debra Murphy.

"Everything they made sold." The event was part of an enterprise week..