Updates on Thursday 28 January
Lloyd Watson
BBC Local Live
Live updates for the North East have now finished. We'll have more news, sport, weather and travel from 08:00 tomorrow.
We hope you can join us then.
If you'd like to get in touch you can tweet us, external, email us, or contact us through our Facebook page, external.
Paul Mooney
BBC Weather
Outbreaks of rain will persist across the region overnight, lighter and more patchy in the east, but heavy at times across the Pennines by morning.
Gales or severe gales developing overnight with some structural damage and disruption to travel possible.
Minimum temperature: 5C (41F). Check the forecast near you.
The Met Office has issued amber "be prepared" weather warnings, external for wind for the far north of England, Northern Isles, western and southern Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Gertrude has been named as the next storm to bring a risk of disruptive windy weather to the UK, external - here's meteorologist Paul Gundersen to explain how the disruption is shaping up.
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A cyclist who was in a critical condition after being knocked off his bike in Newcastle, has died.
The 20-year-old, who has not yet been named, was injured in the crash at about 21:30 yesterday on the Great North Road.
The cyclist and a Ford Mondeo collided and the rider was taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary with serious injuries. Police are appealing for witnesses.
Damian O'Neil
BBC Look North
Green Party Leader Natalie Bennett has been in Northumberland today, backing a campaign to stop an opencast coal mine set to be built near a beauty spot.
The Banks Group wants to develop the site behind Drudridge Bay and says it could bring economic benefits to the area.
But Ms Bennett isn't convinced. I'll have the whole story on BBC Look North at 18:30 on BBC One.
A photo of a lost engagement ring found on a bus in Newcastle has been shared on Facebook more than 6,000 times.
She told BBC Newcastle: "I've had up to 50 friend requests, and message after message of people saying it was theirs.
"Hopefully though, even though I have had a barrage of messages from people - it clearly can’t belong to all of them - that maybe the right one is out there and they have seen it."
Image source, Gillian Kenyon“It’s quite upsetting that people are trying to get a little bit of quick money out of this; maybe they think they can be a little bit deceitful to try and get something that’s not rightly theirs.
“Hopefully the good will overrule [the bad] and we’ll find who it belongs to.”
The Northern Echo
Newspaper
The upset owner of a Rottweiler shot dead by a farmer , externalhas appeared in court after ramming his car when he tried to collect its body.
Mr Kroese died suddenly in his native Netherlands in December last year.
He is fondly remembered for buying and saving Wallsend's Swan Hunter yard in 1995.
His management style meant he developed a great rapport with thousands of shipyard workers who clearly held him in great regard, as this clip from a BBC North East and Cumbria documentary filmed in 2003 shows.
A teenage wrestler is hoping to get his opponent on the ropes when he makes his hometown debut, external.
Image source, The Shields Gazette
BBC Travel
The A189 Salters Lane in Longbenton is closed and there's queuing traffic northbound at the Heathery Lane junction because of an accident.
The A167 Grange Road in Darlington is partially blocked and there's slow traffic northbound at Blands Corner because of an accident. There's congestion on the A66 Bridge Road to the Blackwell junction.
Get more traffic information on the BBC Travel website for Tyne & Wear and Teesside.
BBC Tees
www.bbc.co.uk/BBCTees
An online mobile phone scam first reported five years ago seems to be on the rise again after several new reports to Cleveland Police.
People are receiving messages via Facebook urging them to sign several new mobile phone contracts on the prospect that they keep the handset.
But the scammers keep the phone, and saddle the victims with the contract.
BBC Newcastle
http://www.bbc.co.uk/BBCNewcastle
Northumbria Police expect the Redheugh Bridge to close to traffic from about 03:00 to noon on Friday due to expected gale force winds.
The A1 Western Bypass will also be closed tonight from 20:00 to 06:00 Friday for resurfacing.
The Met Office has issued an amber warning for wind which comes into effect from 03:00 in the Durham, Northumberland and Tyne and Wear areas, external.
Sunderland Echo
Newspaper
Sunderland’s Doggy Diner has played host to a get-together between a golden retriever mum and seven of her puppies, external.
Image source, Sunderland EchoTwo primary school children from Middlesbrough are the first to be appointed as junior road safety officers.
Jamie Johnson and Bradley Proctor are both pupils at Hemlington Hall Academy.
Road safety officer Lynn Hepworth said: "We have 10 schools across Middlesbrough signed up to the scheme so far.
"Peer-to-peer education - children understand one another and it's much more interesting than a fuddy-duddy road safety officer coming in to talk to everybody."
A cyber pervert who set up a fake Facebook profile to entice teenage girls to send him sordid selfies was snared by police after his sick crime was uncovered by his girlfriend, external.
Middlesbrough youngster Bryn Morris has joined League One high-fliers Walsall on a two-month loan deal.
This will be Morris’ third loan spell of the season, after spending time with League One promotion rivals Coventry City and also York City in League Two.
Image source, Empics
Nick Barnes
BBC Newcastle's Sunderland commentator
Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce has told BBC Newcastle the focus is still on new players coming to the club.
Having signed Lamine Kone, Jan Kirchoff, Dame N’Doye and Steve Harper, he says he is looking mainly abroad.
He said: “We’re in the market. We have about 60 players that are available on our desk at the minute from various parts of Europe. Sixty players that are available to leave their football clubs.
"All those 60 players we have to filter through. We’ve already filtered through about [another] 60."
Sunderland are still interested in signing Mathieu Debuchy from Arsenal and Allardyce says if it’s three players coming in, some more will have to leave the club, but “certainly one more will be achieved before Monday”.
Press Association
Saido Berahino is set to stay at West Brom, with the Baggies unwilling to sell this month.
Tottenham and Newcastle are interested in the striker, but Albion have no intention of cashing in before Monday's transfer deadline, Press Association Sport understands.
They rejected four bids from Spurs in the summer - which led to Berahino threatening to strike - but have not received any offers during the January window.
BBC Travel
There's been an accident involving two cars on A191 westbound in Newcastle at Wheatsheaf Roundabout.
Get more traffic information on the BBC Travel website for Tyne & Wear and Teesside.
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