The brothers fail to attend court for sentencing after fleecing thousands from a lottery winner.

Tynemouth lifeboat volunteer Michael Brown and his wife Laura took to the sea to christen their new arrival onboard the station's rescue boat.

The ceremony took place on Sunday on the RNLI Severn class all-weather lifeboat Spirit of Northumberland.

The tradition of christening the children of lifeboat crew members aboard vessels goes back more than 200 years and is said to bring good luck to the child.

Image source, RNLI

The christening font, normally found in a church ceremony, is replaced by the upturned ship's bell from the lifeboat.

Family and friends saw the Reverend Canon Glyn Evans of Christchurch, North Shields, christen the couple's son Harry Thomas Michael.

Mr Brown, 35, an IT Consultant, said: "I'm following in my own father's footsteps as a volunteer lifeboat crewman, my mother was a fundraiser for the RNLI and I'd like to think Harry will also become a volunteer."

Peter Harris
BBC Look North

A charity boss has gone on trial accused of diverting more than £700,000 of its money to himself.

John Briers, 57, denies three counts of fraud while he was chief executive of Age Concern South Tyneside between 2007 and 2015.

Newcastle Crown Court heard claims he paid cheques from the charity to himself using false invoices or made payments claiming they were bonuses or pension contributions.

The trial continues.

Carolyn Farthing-Dunn sent us this beautiful photo of daffodils around Warkworth Castle.

Have you got any photos you'd like to share with us? In that case you can tweet them to @BBCNewsNE, external, email them,or contact us via our Facebook page, external.

Image source, CAROLYN FARTHING-DUNN

The Chronicle

To the thousands of football fans watching her appearance as Newcastle United's ball girl this month, Melody Sanderson would have looked like any normal, healthy girl.

But the inspirational youngster has had a mountain to climb after having three life-changing illnesses to contend with - all before finishing primary school., external

BBC Newcastle

A charity which supports the families of prisoners in the North East says it urgently needs more volunteers in Northumberland.

NEPACS currently has about 200 of them working across seven prisons in the region.

But it needs more volunteers at HMP Northumberland.

The Bishop of Durham and business leaders from across the county are to spend tonight outdoors to raise money for charity.

The CEO Sleepout will see them bed down in the cathedral cloister.

It is in support of charities like Foodcycle, Changing Lives, and Durham Christian Partnership.

Last year they raised almost £25,000.

Image source, BBC - Jonathan Swingler

Sunderland-born BBC journalist Kate Adie is to receive the highest accolade bestowed by Bafta.

The two foreign assignments she is most often associated with are the American bombing of the Libyan capital Tripoli in 1986 and the he Chinese army crackdown on the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, which killed at least 10,000 people

She was on duty in London in 1980 when the siege of the Iranian Embassy was brought to an end by the SAS. Her commentary, which interrupted the World Snooker Championships, was heard in millions of homes.

She served from 1989 until 2003 as the BBC's chief news correspondent.

She will receive the Bafta fellowship in May.

The A189 spine road at Carmlington has been reopened following a collision involving three vehicles this morning, Northumbria Police say.

Daniel Holland
Local Democracy Reporter

Dame Vera Baird has agreed to face councillors this summer to explain a lack of funding for Newcastle's youth offending team.

The Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner came under fire in March when it was revealed that the city's Youth Offending Team Partnership (YOT) received no financial support from her office.

Members of the council's overview and scrutiny committee called the decision "bizarre", amid warnings the service faced major risks because of its "strategic, operational and financial disconnect" from the police.

Dame Vera will now appear before the committee on 26 26 to face questions from councillors.

The YOT - which is said to be over-reliant on council cash - provides direct intervention to children, young people and families involved in crime and antisocial behaviour in Newcastle.

Image source, The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Northumbria

Teesside woke up on Sunday morning to news that revellers at a popular micro pub had fallen victim to a 'gas attack'., external

Image source, THE GAZETTE

Cleveland Police are looking for two men who failed to attend Teesside Crown Court.

Jacob Tindall and Jamie Tindall were due to be sentenced on fraud charges.

Katrice Lee from Hartlepool vanished in 1981 on her second birthday at the base in Paderborn in Germany where her father was stationed.

Royal Military Police is now carrying out a five-week excavation of the banks of the River Alme in Paderborn, which is close to where she was last seen.

It has published a Youtube video explaining more about their investigation.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Fewer than a quarter of complaints to the NHS trust running hospitals in Northumberland and North Tyneside were closed within the target of 35 days last year.

Figures in a report to April's meeting of the board of Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust show that new complaints in 2017-18 were lower than the previous year, dropping from 440 to 380.

The trust's performance in responding to complaints within the timescale agreed with the complainant has also improved - 90%met this target against 81% in 2016.

However, it is Northumbria Healthcare's own internal target of closing complaints within 35 days where the trust falls down - the figure was 29% in 2016-17 and it fell to 24% last year, with chairman Alan Richardson describing it as "miserable".

Hartlepool Mail
Newspaper

Campaigners against potential wind turbines near Seaton Carew say they are disappointed after a government appointed inspector opened the door to them., external

Image source, Hartlepool Mail

A World War One watch awarded to a Willington man has been stolen from an exhibition at Beamish Museum.

It was awarded to Thomas Garnham for rifle shooting in 1913.

He was a miner when he joined the Durham Light Infantry and was later wounded in France in 1915.

Thomas survived the war only to be killed in a mining accident at the age of 31 in 1927.

Image source, Beamish Museum

The Shields Gazette

Mick McCarthy is one of the early favourites to become the new Sunderland manager , externalafter one of the most remarkable days in the club’s recent history.

Image source, Shields Gazette

A woman who threw a pint glass across a Carlisle pub into the face of a stranger has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Image source, Craig McGlasson

At Carlisle Crown Court, Melanie Giacopazzi, 50,of Ancrum Street, Newcastle, admitted actual bodily harm, and was given a six-month sentence, suspended for 12 months.

Judge James Adkin told her she should be "thoroughly ashamed" of the way she behaved.

Giacopazzi was also made subject to a four month night-time curfew, must undergo rehabilitation and has been banned from the Border Rambler for two years.

Royal Military Police are starting a new search for Katrice Lee from Hartlepool who vanished in 1981 on her second birthday at the base in the Paderborn area of Germany where her father was stationed.

Police and experts are to lead 100 soldiers on a five-week forensic excavation of the banks of the River Alme and surrounding areas.

The Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said he had been "struck by the courage and dignity of the Lee family who have never given up on their search for Katrice".

It has been confirmed Robbie Stockdale will take charge for Sunderland's final game of the season.

The coach will also oversee the first-team’s preparations ahead of the game against Wolverhampton Wanderers following Chris Coleman’s departure yesterday.

Image source, Getty Images