Teesside stories you might have missed

The large transporter bridge sitting over the river. The sun is setting in the background and factory style buildings can be seen either side of the river, on the banks.Historic England

The Transporter Bridge has been described as a Middlesbrough landmark, representing the area's industrial heritage

A beloved music festival's cancellation and hopes for the future of an iconic bridge are among the stories to make headlines across Teesside this week.

Bella Culley home after early Georgia jail release

Bella Culley is standing in the doorway and looking directly at the camera with a neutral expression. She has long brown hair and is wearing a brown sleeveless top.Terry Blackburn

Bella Culley arrived home to Billingham from Georgia

A pregnant teenager who admitted drug trafficking charges in Georgia arrived home after being freed from prison this week.

Bella Culley, 19, from Billingham, had spent five months and 24 days in custody at Rustavi Prison Number Five.

She was freed on Monday after prosecutors made a last-minute change to the terms of a plea bargain, arriving back into the country on Tuesday.

The teenager, who is eight months pregnant, was detained on 10 May having been arrested at Tbilisi International Airport when 12kg (26lb) of marijuana and 2kg (4.4lb) of hashish were found in her luggage.

Hopes for future as bridge added to risk register

Dave Allan has close cropped, receding grey hair and a beard, and is wearing a brown jacket over a white open necked shirt. Behind him is a view of the wide expanse of the River Tees spanned by the Transporter Bridge - a high blue-painted metal structure that is made from interconnecting bars of metal, like Meccano, rather than being a solid structure.

Historian Dave Allan fears it might be too late to save Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge

A Grade II* listed bridge that has become the symbol of Teesside has been added to Historic England's Heritage at Risk register.

Middlesbrough's Transporter Bridge has been closed since 2019 over safety concerns, with engineers saying it was at risk of "catastrophic collapse" and had an estimated repair bill of more than £60m.

Historian Dave Allan, who has written a book on history of the bridge, said its addition to the list was a positive step.

"Any attention we can bring to the Transporter Bridge's plight, as this is serious now, can only be a good thing," he said.

New social housing in North East to get £1.1bn

A CGI of how Forth Yards could look once redeveloped. There is a large stoned courtyard with fountains in the paved area which people can walk on. There is a green space nearby with trees. Behind them is a seven-storey apartment building with retail outlets on the ground floor. To the right a brick wall, covered in green plants, has the name Forth Yards written on it in white lettering.Newcastle City Council

Brownfield site Forth Yards in Newcastle is already set to be redeveloped

The government has promised £1.1bn to the north-east of England to build new social housing.

Amid questions over whether Labour can hit a target of 1.5 million new homes by 2029, ministers have allocated the the money to the region, as part of the £39bn Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP).

However critics say there is a lack of detail on when the cash will be available.

A further £6.1m is being allocated to the Tees Valley, which the government said would unlock 244 new houses and revive run-down sites.

A crowd of people gathered in a field. It is a sunny day and most are wearing shorts, t-shirts and sunglasses. There is a tipi behind the people decorated with colourful balloons and a red double-decker bus to the right. Trees can be seen in the background.

Hardwick Festival took place for the 11th time in 2025

Spiralling costs have been blamed for a decision to cancel a popular music festival next year.

Pet Shop Boys, Olly Murs, Noel Gallagher and Snow Patrol are among the acts to have performed at Hardwick Festival, at Hardwick Hall Hotel in Sedgefield, County Durham, since it started in 2013.

But organiser John Adamson said the team need a year off to "have a rethink" due to "losing a considerable amount of money over the past three years".

"It is a sign of the times," he said. "Infrastructure costs, artist fees, they are at an all-time high and I can't reflect that in the prices I charge to cover costs."

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