Nurses and ambulance service staff set to walk-out on strike on Monday won't hold a picket line in Hexham, the GMB union has confirmed.
Planned pickets in the Northumberland town have been cancelled out of respect for the late Holly Newton, 15, who died on Friday January 27. She died following a suspected stabbing - and a union member said "the whole town is in shock".
On Monday, ambulance workers are to join nurses in strike action - but GMB's members won't be taking the streets in Hexham, the union explained. Nurses who had been set to picket outside of Hexham General Hospital on Monday and Tuesday will also no longer do so.
One ambulance worker based in the town said: "It wouldn't feel right waving flags and protesting at a time when the whole town is in shock after the events of last week. All of mine and my colleagues’ thoughts are with Holly's family and loved ones."
Shortly after 5.10pm on January 27 officers from Northumbria Police were informed a teenage boy and girl had been injured in the Priestpopple area of the town centre.. Emergency services attended the scene where they found the boy and girl – aged 16 and 15 – had suffered serious injuries consistent with having been caused by a bladed article.
Another boy, aged 16, was arrested and later charged with murder, attempted murder and possession of an offensive weapon. The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has since appeared in court.
Across Saturday and Sunday, teams from Hexham Football Club plan to hold a minute's silence at a number of matches to remember 15-year-old Holly.
On Monday, industrial from members of the GMB union working for North East Ambulance Service coincides with walk-outs from Royal College of Nursing nurses across the region. Picket lines in Bishop Auckland and Gateshead will see ambulances workers line up next to their nursing colleagues.
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