Duncan Leatherdale
BBC News Online

Training is being extended to increase the recognition of the problem of children in care affected by their mothers drinking alcohol, a council has heard.

Gateshead Council was told the issue is "snowballing", with more than half of the children under their watch suffering from Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder 

Work also needs to be done to ascertain if a woman has been drinking while pregnant, Dr Helen Palmer said.

She said: “When speaking to pregnant women we need to ask them more about their alcohol. 

"We ask a lot about drug use because they are illegal but not enough about their alcohol. 

"When we do ask if a person has been drinking they might well say no, either because they cannot remember or because there is a stigma attached to drinking while pregnant.

“For too long we have been giving mixed messages about how much is alright to drink while pregnant, only recently have we said pregnant women shouldn’t drink at all, we are 20 years behind much of the rest of the western world in that advice.”

Vera Baird, Northumbria's Police and Crime Commissioner, has been speaking to the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme about the number of pranksters across the country dressed as "creepy clowns" to deliberately scare people.

In County Durham on Friday, four children were followed to school by a man in a clown outfit who was armed with what turned out to be a plastic machete.

In a separate incident in County Durham on Friday, police in Peterlee posted a photo on their Facebook page of items including two masks confiscated from two 12-year-olds who officers said had gone to a primary school to scare children.

Image source, iStock

Ms Baird said: "I'm sure it started off as just fun. However, for instance on Sunday a laddie was arrested aged 13 and he had a sharp knife with him, [only] to scare, we're quite satisfied, but nonetheless sinister.

"And I think it's been a little bit taken over by some sinister people and now nobody knows who's in which camp and so the overall right message is to say don't go outside dressed as a clown because people are going to take it the wrong way."

BBC Tees
www.bbc.co.uk/BBCTees

An online poll to decide on Middlesbrough's first statue of a female has voted for Ellen Wilkinson.

Ms Wilkinson was the Labour MP for Middlesbrough East from 1923 to 1931 and became the first female Education Secretary - introducing free milk and school meals.

Almost 600 people took part in the poll, set up by the Eight Plinth, with votes coming in from as far as Poland, Australia and the USA.

The campaign to build a statue honouring the achievements by women of Middlesbrough was launched in March. 

There are currently seven statues in the Teesside town including D-Day VC soldier Stan Hollis and footballers Brian Clough, George Hardwick and Wilf Mannion.

Image source, Getty Images

The publisher of the Daily Telegraph has been fined £80,000, external for unlawfully identifying the teenage victim of former England footballer Adam Johnson, The Guardian reports.

Telegraph Media Group used a pixelated image, which was taken from the 15-year-old’s Facebook page. The company apologised unreservedly.

The Telegraph published the photograph on 3 March - the day after the former Sunderland midfielder was convicted of child sexual activity.

It is a criminal offence under the Sexual Offences Act to identify any alleged victim of a sexual offence unless that person has waived their right to lifelong anonymity.

Image source, Getty Images

Newcastle United midfielder Jack Colback says the team spirit is the best it has been in his time at St James' Park.

The Magpies currently sit third in the Championship table, having won seven of their 11 league games this season.

It follows an overhaul of the squad by manager Rafael Benitez following relegation from the Premier League.

Image source, Rex Features

"Sometimes you get that group which have the right mentality," Colback, who joined Newcastle in June 2014, said.

"All the lads are good lads, we all get on and we fight for each other.

The Shields Gazette

A man from South Tyneside who was flown home from holiday for a liver transplant has lost his battle for life, external.

Image source, Family photo

Duncan Leatherdale
BBC News Online

The number of children in care affected by their mothers drinking alcohol while pregnant is “snowballing”, a doctor has warned.

Between 50% and 60% of children in the care of Gateshead Council are estimated to have some form of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), Dr Helen Palmer told the authority’s parenting scrutiny committee at a meeting last night.

Between 1% and 2% of all children are believed to have FASD, although that could be an underestimate, Dr Palmer said.

The doctor said health officials assessing looked-after children only started looking for the disorder in March last year, but already more than 100 of the 350 children in the council’s care have been diagnosed with it.

She said: "We have always known alcohol affects children by causing physical disabilities but now it is becoming apparent that alcohol causes damage to a lot more children than we previously thought. The number of children with FASD is snowballing."

BBC Weather

You're probably wondering whether you'll need to dig out a warm coat and brollie.

Well, it's going to be a cloudier day than of late with limited breaks. 

The cloud may become thick enough at times to bring some showery rain. It will become breezier, especially along the coast, and feel rather cool.  

It will remain cloudy tonight but with fewer showers. Anyone in higher rural western parts can expect it to be quite chilly.

Six people are kept in hospital overnight after taking a 'bad batch' of drugs, police say.

The psychoactive substances, including Spice, Killer Smeg and SpongeBob, are thought to have been bought in the Old Eldon Square area of Newcastle.

The drugs previously fell under the category of so-called "legal highs" before being banned in May.

Police said the six people suffered an adverse reaction but are not thought to be in a life-threatening condition.

Image source, PA

BBC Entertainment and Arts

Little Mix have announced the first single off their forthcoming album will be called Shout Out To My Ex, and will premiere live on The X Factor this Sunday - after which it will be immediately available to download.

It was written by the band in conjunction with Iain James, who wrote their debut single Wings; and Camille Purcell, who wrote last year's Black Magic.

"Shout Out To My Ex is a song that we're sure loads of people can relate to," said South Shields singer Jade Thirlwall. 

"It's all about moving on after a relationship ends to bigger and better things, and leaving the past where it should be."

So there you go.

Image source, Syco

The reaction to Newcastle and Gateshead winning the right to host the so-called Great Exhibition of the North is starting to roll in.

Here's Geordie duo Ant and Dec:

And Newcastle City Council leader Nick Forbes:

BBC Newcastle

BBC Newcastle will be bringing you all the reaction to the news Newcastle and Gateshead have been chosen to host the Great Exhibition of the North in 2018.

We're down at the Great North Museum: Hancock this morning finding out exactly what visitors can expect and what benefits it will have for Tyneside.

Click here to listen live.

The team behind Newcastle Gateshead's Great Exhibition of the North win predict the event will attract some three million people.

Staged across 77 days in 2018, it will have the theme of The Blazing World - The Fires of Invention.

Organisers promise a spectacular opening ceremony on 21 June on the Quayside, featuring a bridge of illuminated drones over the River Tyne.

Among the highlights will be three themed walking routes to guide visitors to venues and attractions, and it is also hoped Robert Stephenson's early steam locomotive, The Rocket, will be on show.

Our Arts and Entertainment correspondent Ian Youngs has all the details.

Image source, Getty Images

Police will later formally identify a man whose body was found in the River Tees yesterday afternoon. 

Forensic officers and fire crews cordoned off an area close to the Surtees Bridge yesterday afternoon. 

The family of missing 25-year-old Tebogo Magadlela have been informed of the discovery.

Image source, Cleveland Police

There are celebrations across Tyneside this morning after Newcastle and Gateshead were announced as hosts of a major exhibition which will throw the spotlight on art, design and innovation from the north of England.

They will stage the £5m Great Exhibition of the North in 2018 after being selected by the government.

Sheffield, Bradford and Blackpool were the other shortlisted areas, but Tyneside's "level of ambition" helped it secure the victory.

Image source, Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art

Simon Armstrong
BBC News

Good morning. We're back with you until 18:00 bringing you news, sport, weather and travel from across the North East.

We'd love to hear from you if you have a story or a picture you'd like to share with us.

You can contact us on Twitter, external, Facebook, external, or via email at northeast.locallive@bbc.co.uk.