Wearside stories you might have missed

Stuart Porthouse sitting down smiling into the camera. He has white, short hair and is wearing a blue, white and red checked shirt. His wife is standing behind him with her hands in her pockets. She has white, chin-length hair with a fringe and is wearing a black and white striped long-sleeved top and a scarf. They are in a house with beige walls and wooden flooring. There is a white spiral staircase in the left corner.Jim Scott/BBC

Former mineworker Stuart Porthouse said he was "elated" at the pension news

A greyhound race track malfunction triggers a review, dogs are poisoned by litter on a path and surplus pension money for mineworkers released by government.

Here are some of the stories you might have missed.

Family's warning as crypto scam cost man £3,000

An actress with her back to the camera poses with a smart phone which shows graphs detailing the current rate of cryptocurrency.Andy Watson/BBC

Scammers have been offering crypto investment opportunities

The family of an elderly man conned out of close to £3,000 by "compelling" crypto scammers have warned others to be alert.

A scammer contacted the South Tyneside man, who is being kept anonymous to protect his identity, over the phone in August and offered him an investment opportunity, a family member told the BBC.

"They'd been calling him for weeks, when I caught a strange number calling I knew instantly it was a scam," they said. "He'd already transferred over around £3,000 and he'd been set to send over another £8,000."

Northumbria Police said crypto scams had been "rising" in recent years.

Dogs poisoned by drugs on litter-strewn walk path

Müzli is lying on the ground at the emergency vets. Her eyes are red.Chris Stoker-Jones

Müzli was shaking and unable to stand up after becoming ill, her owner said

A pet owner is urging others to avoid a littered path after his dogs suffered suspected drug poisoning hours after their walks.

Chris Stoker-Jones said Müzli and Hershey fell ill hours after being exercised on the path behind between Farringdon and Lakeside Village in Sunderland.

Mr Stoker-Jones said it had been "terrifying" and emergency vets had told him it was likely the dogs had ingested cannabis or methadone.

Sunderland City Council said keeping neighborhoods clean was a "top priority" and urged people to report suspicious activity or littering.

Greyhound races in review after traps malfunction

People leaning over the racing traps as they try to help the dogs. Premier Greyhound Racing

The race on Tuesday night had to be abandoned after the incident

Greyhound races in a city are being reviewed after traps malfunctioned, leaving dogs stuck.

The incident happened in Sunderland on Tuesday night, when traps at the 450m start failed. It followed an issue with separate traps at the 261m race on Friday.

Sunderland Greyhound Stadium said equipment had been fully tested before the events and no problems had been found.

It added one greyhound had suffered light bruising, but needed no further treatment and all other dogs involved remained "fit and well".

Plea to National Trust to help save Glass Centre

The multi-storey National Glass centre building is mostly made of glass and grey panels. It is by the River Wear and has a seating area in front of it. Two seagulls are flying in the clear blue sky above.

A public meeting over the future of the centre was held in Sunderland last week

City leaders have called for urgent talks with the National Trust about a potential option to save the National Glass Centre (NGC).

The venue in Sunderland is set to close its doors next July, but campaigners told a public meeting last week that the trust's proposed Safe Harbour scheme might provide it with potential lifeline.

Sunderland City Council leader Michael Mordey, who was at the meeting, said he had co-signed a letter alongside Lewis Atkinson MP asking to meet with the trust to see if the scheme could be a viable option for the NGC.

Atkinson said he would continue to engage with all interested parties. The National Trust has been contacted for a comment.

Ex-mineworker 'elated' at £2.3bn pension release

Ian Lavery looking into the camera and smiling. He is standing in front of Woodhorn Colliery which is a stone building with an old bit of mining equipment with is a large metal machine with a wheel on top outside. He has grey short hair and is wearing a black pullover sports top with a shirt underneath.Jim Scott/BBC

Ian Lavery MP said former mineworkers "deserved a lot better"

A former mineworker said he was "elated" when the government announced it will share out surplus pension fund money held for over 30 years.

Stuart Porthouse from Sunderland, who spent 32 years working at five collieries in north-east England, said Rachel Reeves' Budget announcement that members of the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme (BCSSS) will receive £2.3bn will allow people to "enjoy the rest of their lives".

The cash has been held by the government since 1994 when the mining industry was privatised.

Ian Lavery, Labour MP for Blyth and Ashington and a former president of the National Union of Mineworkers, said it was "fantastic news".

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