Tyneside and Northumberland stories from this week

Sixteen women joined Gill on her trek up Kilimanjaro

A team of women have hiked Mount Kilimanjaro to prove the power of people with stomas, a river has been re-routed and a Reform councillor's property firms owe customers £140,000.

Here are five stories from across Tyneside and Northumberland you might have missed this week.

NHS find a dentist website 'work of fiction'

The NHS said it was "determined to improve access to NHS dentistry"

Dentists say the NHS website showing whether practices are taking on new NHS patients is a "work of fiction".

Of 34 north-east of England practices on the website said to be "accepting new NHS patients when availability allows", only three actually had space in their books.

The British Dental Association said adding "when availability allows" was an attempt to conceal the scale of the problem and had confused patients.

NHS England did not explain why the wording was changed or why so few dentists actually had availability, but said it provided practices with tools and support to routinely update whether they were accepting new patients.

• Read more about North East NHS practice websites here

'Climbing Kilimanjaro proved stomas won't stop us'

Gill Castle said her team of women proved people with stomas could do anything

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro would be a challenge for anyone, but for Gill Castle, who has a stoma, and her group of women, it was extra tough.

Gill, 46, is no stranger to physical endurance. In 2023, she became the first person fitted with a stoma to swim across the English Channel.

She came up with the idea of climbing Kilimanjaro to raise money for her charity, Chameleon Buddies, which helps women in Kenya who have stomas but not the same access to medical supplies or treatment she had.

Sixteen women joined her on the trek - some of of whom also had stomas or had experienced birth trauma.

• Read about Gill's team of women climbing Mount Kilimanjaro here

How a river was restored after years of re-routing

New meanders have been created to allow the river to deter away from its straightened route

Work to bring a river back to its natural state after centuries of re-routing has been completed.

The River Breamish on the Harehope Estate, south of Wooler in Northumberland, was straightened for agricultural purposes.

A 1km (0.6 mile) section of the river has now been returned to its former shape through the Life Wader project, which used a mixture ancient maps and modern technology to trace its original route.

Jim Heslop, environment programme manager for the Environment Agency (EA), said the scheme had created new habitats, improved water quality and protected the area from floods.

• Read more about the river re-routing here

'I've fixed Metro ticket machines for 40 years - they are like my children'

Alex Carr is retiring after spending 40 years repairing ticket machines on the Tyne and Wear Metro

A man who has spent 40 years repairing Metro ticket machines says they are "like my children" because he knows "all their quirks".

Alex Carr, 60, of Dipton, in County Durham, is retiring after spending the past four decades working on the Tyne and Wear Metro.

He has managed 225 machines across 60 stations, aiming to keep them and the gate lines in top condition.

Operator Nexus said Mr Carr had given outstanding long service and had contributed to the success of system.

• Read more about Alex Carr repairing Metro machines here

Reform councillor's property firms owe customers £140,000

Barry Elliott was elected in May to represent the Newsham ward in Blyth

Building companies owned or run by Reform UK councillor Barry Elliott have been ordered to pay tens of thousands of pounds to three customers, and his own council is taking him to court over what it claims is an unpaid debt.

Peter and Katie McCombe dreamt of living near their grandchildren to "spoil them" and take them on holiday, but say this is something they can no longer do.

They had paid Mr Elliott all their spare money and he had "ruined that part of our lives", they say.

The BBC has approached Mr Elliott on a number of occasions but he has refused to provide answers.

• Read more about this story here