Teesside stories you might have missed this week

Eve Robson won a champion title after previously arm-wrestling men in her local pub

A fly infestation causing concerns for residents and a woman who has swapped arm-wrestling in her local pub for the world championships are among the stories in the spotlight this week on Teesside.

'See story through my eyes'

Bella Culley, pictured at a previous hearing, appeared at Tbilisi City Court

British teenager Bella Culley, on trial for drug smuggling charges in Georgia, told the court she hoped it would be able "to see my story through my eyes".

The 19-year-old from Billingham, Teesside, appeared at Tbilisi City Court on Thursday and said: "I never thought that something like that would happen to me."

Miss Culley, who is pregnant, could face up to 20 years in jail or life imprisonment if convicted.

• Read more about what happened during the court session here

'Disaster' cycle lane to be scrapped

The cycle lane cost £1.7m to create in 2022

Middlesbrough's mayor confirmed works to remove a controversial cycle lane in the town will begin next month.

The Linthorpe Road route has faced a backlash since it was installed in 2022, with concerns over cyclists and pedestrians being injured, and businesses branding it a "disaster" due to it taking up parking space.

Mayor Chris Cooke said his pledge to remove the cycle lane, which cost £1.7m and was approved under his predecessor, would soon be fulfilled.

• Read more about it here.

Strongwoman's title win

Eve Robson arm-wrestling with her dad Tim at the pub

From arm-wrestling contents in a pub to winning a world title, Eve Robson spoke of her "unbelievable" win after previously raising money to compete in international competitions at her local.

The 22-year-old, from Hurworth-on-Tees, near Darlington, became the first British woman to claim the female title at the Amateur World Highland Games Championships, which was held at the top of a mountain in Norway.

She had been aiming for the top prize since taking up the sport three years ago.

"I just started screaming when I won because I've worked so hard to get to the top of the sport," she said.

Read more about her efforts here.

Village 'terrorised by flies'

Residents say they are "deeply concerned" about the number of flies appearing in their homes each June

Residents said they are being "terrorised" by thousands of flies, which are disrupting their daily lives and causing health worries.

People living in Aycliffe Village, near Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, have urged the Environment Agency (EA) to take action to bring the situation under control.

Mark Appleby, who has blamed a nearby landfill, said he had 64 flies stuck to fly paper at his home a month ago, and he was "deeply concerned" because the issue was happening each June.

Aycliffe Quarry Landfill Site, which is managed by Ashcourt, said it was "not the source of the issue". The EA said it was investigating.

• For the full story, click here

'Billy Snaps' goes viral with town's history

A teenager has tasked himself with documenting his town on social media before it is revamped and changes forever.

Isaac, from Billingham, runs Billingham Snaps and said his short-form content about Teesside has gone viral as his peers revel in seeing their home towns "valued".

Billy Snaps, as his school friends call him, says multiple generations of Teessiders are enjoying his work across TikTok and Facebook.

He said he had dedicated himself to capturing his town on film, as £20m of Levelling Up funding means it will be transformed.