A Covid-19 vaccination centre will open in Darlington next week.

It means more people can be given the jab as quickly as possible at the Darlington Arena site from Monday 1 March.

It's the fourth large vaccination centre in the North East, joining Newcastle's Centre for Life, Sunderland's Nightingale hospital and the Arnison Centre in Durham.

Such large centres can see up to 1,000 people a day, running 12 hours a day and for 7 days a week.

People will be invited to attend the centre by NHS England's national booking service, or they can wait until they receive an invitation from their own GP.

Image source, Google

A judge has ordered a gym to close for three months after its owners repeatedly breached lockdown regulations.

Durham County Council says Ellwoods Gym and Fitness Centre in Horden endangered the life, health and comfort of the public by staying open.

It was served with a prohibition notice on 13 January and when council and police officers returned two weeks later and on 10 February there was evidence the notice had been breached.

In total, police handed out more than 30 Fixed Penalty Notices to people using the gym and one man was arrested for obstructing the police.

The council says it found people had been travelling from around the region to attend the gym.

Karl Ellwood, of Park Terrace in Horden, was also ordered to pay court costs of £1,819.

Image source, Google

The couple said fostering during the Covid pandemic had been "challenging but rewarding."

Listen to BBC radio commentary of Gloucester v Worcester Warriors in the Premiership following earlier wins for Bristol Bears, London Irish and Newcastle Falcons

Listen to BBC Radio Tees commentary on Hartlepool United v Barnet in the National League following a day of action in non-league's top tier and the FA Trophy quarter-finals.

The charity Olivia Inspires is helping children "achieve their dreams".

Sunderland move fifth after claiming a third straight League One win for the first time this season with victory over Fleetwood.

New Bristol City boss Nigel Pearson watches his side end a run of six straight league defeats by beating Middlesbrough.

Wrexham and Hartlepool United settle for a point apiece after a hard fought battle in difficult conditions at the Racecourse.

The family of a Stockton man who died at the weekend have paid tribute to him, saying he was a "very popular and well-known person".

Adam Chawla suffered "significant injuries" at a home on Eleanor Place in Stockton on Friday 19 April. He died in hospital on Sunday.

In a statement his family said: “He was a kind-natured person and when he was younger he used to help elderly neighbours with shopping and errands.

“He also used to work in a local restaurant which he really enjoyed.

“Adam comes from a large and very loving family, including his two children aged eight and three and we will all miss him terribly."

Image source, Cleveland Police

• Three men aged 50, 40 and 29 have been charged with Mr Chawla's murder and are due before Teesside Magistrates' Court.

Police have discovered crossbow bolts in nesting boxes at a country park in Hartlepool.

Officers were called to Summerhill country park at the weekend after reports of people acting suspiciously.

They found the bolts lodged into owl nesting boxes.

It's not know if any birds were in the boxes when they were targeted.

Image source, Cleveland Police

Local Democracy Reporting Service
James Harrison

Firefighters in Tyne and Wear have shaved vital seconds off the time it takes them to reach serious incidents by getting ready before a call-out.

A pre-alert system was introduced for responders almost two years ago to give crews a heads up of suspected blazes.

Firefighters are alerted as soon as a 999 call is answered.

Under national response standards, crews are supposed to be dispatched within a minute of being notified of the most serious incidents and arrive six minutes later.

The average response time to "primary fires" among English fire brigades in 2019-20 was eight minutes and 43 seconds, making the Tyne and Wear Fire service the fastest in the country, with an average response time of six minutes 29 seconds.

Super League's Magic Weekend is moved to the weekend of 4-5 September to allow more fans to attend.

The trio are accused of killing Adam Chawla, 27, who was found with serious injuries in Stockton.

Cleveland Police has uncovered a cannabis farm at a house in Billingham.

Neighbourhood officers seized the plants, with a street value of £130,000, from a house on Gainford Road yesterday.

A 30-year-old man has been charged with producing class B drugs.

Image source, Cleveland Police

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Stuart Arnold

The boss of a Teesside social club which started selling pizzas and parmos when lockdown restrictions closed the bar says his takeaway business could turn over £500,000 this year.

John Taylor started Eston Labour Grub, an offshoot of Eston Labour Club, last October by converting a storeroom and bin store into a takeaway with its own shop front and customer waiting area.

Last month it was retrospectively granted permission for change of use by Redcar and Cleveland Council.

A report by council planning officers said the takeaway use had been operating for a number of months without any complaints.

Middlesbrough boss Neil Warnock has no issue with striker Ashley Fletcher pausing a contract decision until the summer.

Relive all of Tuesday's EFL action as Norwich City win to go 10 points clear at the top of the Championship.

Bringing you the latest news from across the North East from Monday 22 February to Friday 26 February 2021