A tanning salon owner has been jailed after a teenager suffered horrific burns while using a sun bed. Ryan Sihra was given a 20-week prison sentence after admitting failing to carry out statutory age and safety checks at the business on Middlesbrough’s Linthorpe Road. The teenager later described her ordealContinue Reading

A man has been jailed for sexually abusing a child – as his brave survivor speaks out about the lifelong effects of his crimes. Jordan Woods, now 27, sexually assaulted the schoolgirl almost a decade ago in the North Tyneside area. After years of keeping what had happened to herself,Continue Reading

Officers are appealing for witnesses to come forward as they investigate reports of attempted robbery in Newcastle. Shortly after 6.20am on Wednesday, April 23, police received a report that a woman had been followed by two males on pedal cycles near to The County Hotel on Neville Street. When challengedContinue Reading

One person in handcuffs within 10 minutes – after we spotted a suspected stolen motorbike in North Tyneside. Just before 9.30pm yesterday (Tuesday) a BMW motorbike which was reported to have been stolen from the Ashington area of Northumberland was seen on High Street East in Wallsend. Within minutes, weContinue Reading

A suspected dealer has been charged – after a haul of drugs and thousands in cash was found in a Newcastle address. A team of detectives from Northumbria Police paid an early morning visit to a property in the Fenham area on Tuesday, April 22. This followed information relating toContinue Reading

A pioneering approach to breaking the destructive cycle of children caught up in, or at risk of, crime that is being trialled in Middlesbrough should be adopted across the UK according to an influential national report. Over the last nine months Middlesbrough Council has partnered with national charity SHiFT toContinue Reading

Officers are appealing for witnesses to come forward after a man sadly died following a collision in Newcastle. At 9pm on Sunday (April 13), police received a report via the ambulance service of a single vehicle collision involving a motorcycle on Kingfisher Boulevard at the junction with Goldcrest Way, inContinue Reading

Tees Valley residents are set to benefit from energy efficiency upgrades after nearly £14 million was awarded to a consortium involving Darlington, Middlesbrough, Redcar & Cleveland and Stockton councils. The funding – totalling £13,953,865 – comes from the government’s new Warm Homes: Local Grant scheme, which could help up toContinue Reading

Residents are being encouraged to have their say on the future of learning to help boost job opportunities and ensure training and education is accessible to communities across North Yorkshire. The Let’s Talk Skills engagement exercise, which has launched today (Monday, April 14), is part of North Yorkshire Council’s widerContinue Reading

The spring sunshine added the perfect seasoning to a weekend full of food and family fun at this year’s Bishop Auckland Food Festival. Thousands of people flocked to Bishop Auckland town centre for the return of one of the region’s biggest food festivals, for two days of entertainment, cookery demonstrations,Continue Reading

Members of the public are being invited to suggest issues they’d like Middlesbrough Council to investigate. The move is part of the Council’s wide-ranging Scrutiny process which puts topics affecting local people and the area they live in under the microscope. Subjects covered often relate to Council services, but topicsContinue Reading

An investigation is under way after police officers were involved in a collision during a pursuit. At about 2am yesterday (Wednesday) officers have attempted to stop a car in the Whickham area of Gateshead due to concerns about the manner it was being driven. The dark grey BMW M SportContinue Reading

One of Middlesbrough’s family favourite visitor attractions is back with a bang at the weekend. The Captain Cook Birthplace Museum (CCBM) re-opens on Saturday (April 12) with an  amazing line-up of Easter entertainment including a brand new ‘Living History’ event. Easter events at the CCBM from this weekend: Egg ScrambleContinue Reading

Officers are appealing for information after a man was seriously injured in a two-vehicle collision in North Tyneside. Shortly before 4.30pm on Monday, police received a report of a collision between a black and brown Harley Davidson motorcycle and a brown Mercedes Sprinter van, on Stephenson Street, near the HadrianContinue Reading

Record £2.5 million investment in North Yorkshire’s car parks Card, cash and app payments will be possible in every car park in North Yorkshire for the first time under council plans to make parking easier than ever before. North Yorkshire Council’s largest ever car parking investment plan, worth almost £2.5Continue Reading

A man has been jailed for four-and-a-half-years for sexually assaulting a woman whilst she slept. Sam Clarke, 23, abused the victim at a house party while she was sleeping, however she awoke and confronted Clarke, who tried to claim the activity was consensual and that she was awake. The braveContinue Reading

Officers investigating an alleged disturbance in Newcastle have appealed to the public for information – after a man has been charged. Shortly after 7.30pm on Wednesday, March 26, it was reported two women in their 20s had been walking through Exhibition Park in the city centre. As they walked towardsContinue Reading

Heading to Bishop Auckland Food Festival this weekend? Organisers have announced travel arrangements for getting to the event. Bishop Auckland Food Festival returns to the town centre on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 April, for two days of fun, food and family entertainment. With over 150 stalls, festivalgoers will beContinue Reading

Spring cleaning’s well under way and gardens are starting to grow – but that’s no excuse for inconsiderate and illegal dumping. That’s the message from Middlesbrough Council chiefs as they sound a warning over the penalties faced by those caught fly-tipping. While some responsibly hire skips and workmen to helpContinue Reading

A prolific offender who persistently targeted Tyneside taxi drivers has been jailed and banned from stepping foot inside several communities – following a multi-agency investigation involving police and partners. Tony Hall repeatedly carried out attacks on taxis and other vehicles in the Heaton, Jesmond, Fenham and West End areas ofContinue Reading

An installation of 675 roof mounted photovoltaic solar panels has commenced at Middlesbrough’s Rainbow Leisure Centre. The panels are funded via a grant of £459,400 from the second phase of Sport England’s £60 million Swimming Pool Support Fund. Leisure Energy was appointed by the Council as Principal Designer and Principal ContractorContinue Reading

A brand-new launch pad membership designed to support early-stage businesses has been created by the North East Chamber of Commerce. Start Up and Grow is the latest addition to the Chamber’s enhanced membership offer, providing the tools, support and connections for incorporated start-ups in their first two years of business.Continue Reading

A demand for a change in the law was prompted after Clare Wood’s murder at the hands of her ex-partner in 2009 at her home in Salford. It was later discovered that her ex-partner, George Appleton, had a history of violence against women which Clare was not aware of. HeContinue Reading

A new event celebrating world cuisine and handcrafted goods is set to attract thousands of visitors to Scarborough next month. Bringing a mix of international flavours, artisan products and family-friendly entertainment, the Scarborough Food and Drink Festival will be held at the town’s Open Air Theatre on April 12 andContinue Reading

The medals awarded to the eldest of four North East brothers who all fought with valour in the First World War are now back in his home county. The Trustees of the Durham Light Infantry (DLI) bought Colonel Sir Thomas Bradford’s medals at auction, including a Distinguished Service Order. Today,Continue Reading

Officers are appealing to the public for help to locate a missing teenager from Houghton-le-Spring. Layla Anderson, 15, was last seen at about 11.15pm on Tuesday (March 11) in the area of Scott Street. Officers and her family are growing increasingly concerned for her welfare. Anyone with information on Layla’sContinue Reading

State-of-the-art upgrades have been unveiled at one of Middlesbrough’s hugely popular community hubs as part of a major investment programme. The high-tech improvements at Thorntree Community Hub & Library mark the final phase of a three-year project made possible through the Libraries Improvement Fund. The Hub’s IT area has been completelyContinue Reading

Officers are appealing for witnesses to come forward as they investigate a report of attempted robbery in North Tyneside. At 5.40am yesterday, (Monday) police received a report that a man was walking on a path that runs alongside the Tyne Tunnel Trading Estate, leading from Station Road into Percy Main,Continue Reading

Motorists are being warned of a brief period of disruption while essential works are carried out to a central Middlesbrough building. Temporary lane closures will be in place next week around the junction of Borough Road and Linthorpe Road while a survey and structural works are undertaken at The Crown.Continue Reading

Officers are appealing for footage and witnesses as they investigate a report of robbery in South Tyneside – for which a man has already been charged. At about 10.40pm on Friday, March 7, it was reported that a man had robbed a woman on Beach Road in South Shields, directlyContinue Reading

Officers have released images of people they would like to trace in connection with a report of theft in South Shields. At around 4.30am on January 1, police received a report of people attempting to gain access to vehicles parked outside of addresses in the Chichester and Westoe areas. ItContinue Reading

In just a few short weeks since it was launched, Hartlepool’s new Stop Smoking Service is already supporting 45 local smokers to quit the habit. Commissioned by Hartlepool Borough Council, the service is delivered by North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust and Hartlepool & Stockton Health. It complements existingContinue Reading

Businesses have been warned they face tough action after a string of Middlesbrough stores illegally sold corrosive substances to a teenager. Retailers are being told to clean up their act after all those visited during a Trading Standards operation failed to carry out the required checks. One premises even askedContinue Reading

More than 30 community projects are to benefit from a new £1 million Opportunity Fund set up by North East Mayor Kim McGuinness The first round of grants from the new Mayor’s Opportunity Fund has seen £264,210 awarded to 33 small charities and community groups. Funding has been targeted at organisationsContinue Reading

A North East council has selected nationwide placemaker, Muse, as its joint venture partner to deliver the first phase of a new innovation district. The first phase comprises the Durham County Council-owned Aykley Heads site, which is currently home to the authority’s County Hall headquarters. The 15-hectare site already hasContinue Reading

Officers issue warning to football fans to remain vigilant following reports of Newcastle United cup final ticket scam. Northumbria Police have been made aware of a number of reports via Action Fraud of an alleged fake ticket scam circulating on social media in recent weeks. It was reported that ticketsContinue Reading

Increasing access to free school meals, providing warm and welcoming spaces, supporting rural communities and helping businesses to thrive are just some examples of partnership work in action in County Durham. Next week, Durham County Council’s Cabinet will receive an update on the issues being addressed by the County DurhamContinue Reading

A key milestone has been reached in one of the UK’s first large-scale mine water heat projects, with work now underway. Durham County Council is working with a number of organisations to deliver the project, which will ultimately see mine water used to heat homes on a new sustainable community,Continue Reading

A MIDDLESBROUGH resident has praised a specialist team for preventing her from being admitted to a hospital and bringing care closer to her home.      Mavis Ann Connors, 88, was rushed to the emergency department at The James Cook University Hospital after having two falls within 24 hours and noticing aContinue Reading

Police investigating a report of rape in Newcastle are appealing for potential witnesses. It was reported that shortly before 2am on Sunday, February 9, a man in his 20s had been raped near Pottery Lane. An investigation was immediately launched by detectives from Northumbria Police’s Safeguarding Department and the victimContinue Reading