Tyneside stories you might have missed this week

Gloria Stapylton (left) has short white hair and is smiling. She wears a pearl necklace and white cardigan. She is holding a copy of Women's Health magazine, which has a picture of Lucy Bronze on it. Julie Tough (right) has short ginger hair and holds a small white dog and a newspaper. A cardboard cutout of Lucy is behind them.

Lucy Bronze's nan Gloria Stapylton and aunt Julie Tough say they will be nervous watching Sunday's final

A chat with Lioness star Lucy Bronze's nan ahead of the Euro 2025 final, a rugby ball washing up on the shores of Denmark and a cocaine dealer identified by an "ouch" tattoo were among the stories happening on Tyneside.

Here are some stories you might have missed this week.

Art thief stole £10k spray can

Mugshot of Christopher Scott. He has short scruffy dark hair and a beard and looks generally dishevelled. He has a morose expression on his face and is wearing a grey sweatshirt which is clearly inside out and back to front as the inner label is visible beneath his chin.Northumbria Police

Christopher Scott had 130 offences on his criminal record

A prolific thief who stole a £10,000 artwork from a city centre gallery during his latest spree was jailed for almost three and a half years.

Christopher Scott, 44, walked into Clarendon Fine Art in Newcastle and swiped a spray can sculpture by French street artist Mr Brainwash from a pedestal, the city's crown court heard.

He also stole £4,000 worth of tools from a building site and was part of a gang who broke into a woman's home in Heworth.

  • More on the case can be found here

Rugby ball found 470 miles away

Benjamin and Alexander both holding rugby balls at Longsands beach. They are wearing red Rockcliffe Rugby club shorts and green camouflage shorts. They are standing between a wooden chest, where people can donate toys for other people to use.Rockcliff Rugby Club

Benjamin and Alexander donated the club's old training balls to a beach toy bin in North Tyneside

Rockcliff Rugby Club in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, found themselves making a new international connection this week.

One of their balls travelled hundreds of miles before washing up in Denmark.

The club was contacted by a German family who found the ball while on holiday in Lønstrup, about 470 miles (756km) away.

  • Find out more about the ball's adventure here

Lionesses get their grit through Bronze

Gloria Stapylton sitting in a chair next to a life-size cardboard cut-out of her granddaughter Lucy Bronze. Mrs Stapleton is wearing a pearl necklace and a white blouse. She has short white hair and is smiling at the camera.

Gloria Stapylton says her granddaughter, Lioness star Lucy Bronze, gets her own grit from her family

Lioness star Lucy Bronze provides her teammates with the "grit and determination" they need during tough matches, according to her nan.

Gloria Stapylton said she was incredibly proud of her granddaughter for helping her team win their Euro 2025 semi-final match, which saw England beat Italy in extra time.

The 89-year-old said Bronze, who is from Berwick in Northumberland, was an inspiration for her teammates and helped them to keep going during tough matches.

Her comments come as England prepare to play Spain in the UEFA Women's Euro final on Sunday at 17:00 BST.

  • Hear more of what she had to say here

Cocaine dealer identified by 'ouch' tattoo

Close up of the word "ouch!" on the ankle of a man leading on to his foot. A black trainer with a red Nike tick can be seen beyond.Northumbria Police

Dean Matthews sent a picture of his tattoo to others in his drug dealing network

A cocaine dealer who was identified by a photograph of the word "ouch" tattooed on his foot has been jailed for 13 years.

Dean Matthews, 46, was caught after police cracked the EncroChat network, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

Among the evidence proving Matthews' involvement in arranging large cocaine deals was a picture of his distinctive tattoo he had sent when complaining to other drug dealers about a broken flip-flop, the court was told.

  • Read more about it here

Ferry landing funds approved

Artist's impression of the new ferry landing at North Shields. It is an overhead shot of a small blue-and-white ferry going into port. There is a landing area with a walkway surrounded by blue steelwork. Houses line the quayside with trees and other buildings behind.Nexus

The estimated cost of the new ferry landing has risen by almost £6m

Funds to cover a multimillion-pound increase in the cost of a new ferry landing were approved.

Fears for the future of the Shields ferry crossing were raised after it emerged its current facility in North Shields was no longer fit for purpose.

A £14.6m package to build a new landing was agreed last summer, however this week the North East Combined Authority was asked to allocate another £5.9m to cover rising costs.

  • Full details of the story can be found here

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