BBC Sport

Here are snippets from today's Gossip Column:

On-loan Sunderland midfielder Yann M'Vila, 25, has hinted he would like to extend his stay on Wearside from Russia's Rubin Kazan at the end of the season.(Sunderland Echo), external

On 4 February 2006 Alan Shearer broke Jackie Milburn's all-time Newcastle scoring record with his 201st goal. Former England striker Shearer used the hashtag #dreamscometrue as he marked the 10th anniversary on Thursday with a message on Twitter., external

Image source, Getty Images

Sunderland's relegation fight takes them to Liverpool on Saturday - four days after hosting title hopefuls Manchester City. "Big games coming thick and fast! Time for the boys to rest & recover ahead of our trip to Anfield this weekend," tweeted, external Black Cats boss Sam Allardyce.

Hartlepool Mail
Newspaper

More than 50 overseas nurses are due to start work on wards within weeks, external to help tackle staff shortages within a hospital trust.

Cloudy with some outbreaks of light rain. Over northwestern hills sometimes heavier bursts are possible and strong southwesterly winds.

Outbreaks of drizzly rain are more likely further east, like in Durham, but drier at times here with possible brighter spells in shelter. 

Maximum temperature: 11C (52F). Check the forecast near you.

Cleveland Police is to close the front desks at nine of its "underused" stations with the loss of 73 jobs.

The force said following a three-month study carried out last year, it found that on average many of the desks were used by less than one visitor per day.

The move will save about £3m per year, with about six full-time posts at risk. 

Temporary Chief Constable Iain Spittal said they were not withdrawing from communities but providing the most cost-effective service to local people.

Rail services between Tyneside and Cumbria are to resume after more than 35,000 tonnes of debris was cleared from a landslip-damaged track.

The Newcastle to Carlisle line has been blocked since 7 January after flooding resulted in landslips near Corbridge.

Passengers have faced lengthy bus journeys between Prudhoe and Hexham while repair work has been going on.

But Network Rail said services would return to normal from 8 February after a "challenging" engineering operation.

BBC Travel

One lane is blocked on the A19 southbound in Dudley at Moor Farm Roundabout, because of a broken down lorry.

There are no major reported problems across Teesside.

Get more traffic information on the BBC Travel website for Tyne & Wear and Teesside.

Lloyd Watson
BBC Local Live

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