CONCERNS are growing for a 16-year-old girl who has been reported missing from home.

Police are appealing for the public to help trace Lauren Paige Jakeman, from Catterick Garrison, who went missing on Saturday, October 6.

Lauren failed to arrive for work as an apprentice hairdresser at Cutting Edge hair and beauty salon, in Darlington, and it is believed she may be with her boyfriend in the Darlington area, where she went to school.

Although she has been in telephone contact with social services since she was reported missing, she has not been in touch for the past 24 hours and officers are becoming concerned for her welfare.

When Lauren was last seen she was wearing a black and white dress.

Hospitals to get tough on smokers A NORTH-EAST hospital trust will today launch a campaign to persuade hard-core smokers to stub it out while in, or outside, NHS premises.

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Darlington Memorial Hospital, Bishop Auckland General Hospital and the University Hospital of North Durham, went smokefree six years ago.

But the trust – which spends nearly £12m a year treating smoking-related diseases – has had problems persuading a minority of smokers not to lightup outside hospital entrances.

Now, on the sixth anniversary of the trust-wide ban, hospital bosses are launching a more intensive campaign to dissuade people from smoking.

The trust has introduced “Fresher, Cleaner, Healthier, Greener” signs on lamp-posts, walls, floors and windows across each hospital site.

Staff have been given new guidance on how to approach those who persist in smoking on NHS premises and they will ask smokers to stub it out or leave the site altogether.

Darcy Brown, the trust’s health improvement lead for tobacco, said: “Since all NHS buildings became smoke-free in 2006, most patients and visitors are happy not to smoke anywhere on site.

“However, our smoke-free policy has been difficult to enforce in hospital grounds and we still get a minority of smokers who continue to light up, particularly around hospital entrances.

“Patients, visitors and staff all pass through the smoke in these areas.”

The trust’s stop smoking service has helped more than 52,000 people to quit smoking since 1999. Staff, patients and visitors can make use of the free service by calling 0800-011- 3405 or emailing cdda-tr.stop smoking@nhs.net Musicians’ family show A FAMILY of professional musicians are to give a rare cathedral performance.

David and Jennifer Murray, and their son, Christopher, rarely perform together because of their professional commitments, but will play a concert at Durham Cathedral tonight.

Mr Murray is a renowned pianist, while his wife plays clarinet in the Aeolian Wind Quintet and is a concert soloist; and Christopher is a member of the Heath String Quartet.

The concert starts at 7.30pm. Tickets, which cost £12, or free to children, are available at the door or from the Gala Theatre box office on 0191-332-4041.

Sergeant Bill Scott, of Northallerton Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: “Lauren has not been seen for almost a week now, and although she has been in contact by telephone, we are becoming concerned for her safety.

“I am appealing to the public to keep their eyes peeled and let us know if they see Lauren.

“I am also appealing directly to Lauren to contact the police or Social Services – you are not in any trouble, we just need to check that you are okay.”

Anyone with information about Lauren’s whereabouts is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101.