Thousands of knitted and crochet poppies have been donated by volunteers from as far away as Australia.

An anonymous donor gave Hartlepool RNLI 20 albums of stamps to sell at auction.

Hartlepool Mail
Newspaper

A woman has died after taking a suspected batch of heroin in Hartlepool., external

Image source, Hartlepool Mail

BBC Tees

A primary school which was closed due to safety concerns is reopening on Thursday.

Barnard Grove Primary School in Hartlepool was closed on Monday after a Department for Education inspection of the external brickwork over half-term.

Image source, Google

In 2015, it was rebuilt under the Priority School Building Programme.

Gill Alexander, the chief executive of Hartlepool Borough Council, said an independent survey found "the building is safe".

Andy Bell
BBC Tees

A great-grandfather has described how difficult he finds life because he is unable to read or write.

John MacMurray, 55, of Shildon, County Durham, is one of tens of thousands of people who are illiterate.

Government research in 2011 found 137,000 people across Teesside and County Durham were affected by the problem.

The Department for Education has said it does not know when any more recent research will be published.

BBC Weather

Today will see spells of sunshine and variable cloud, but with the chance of a few showers through both the morning and afternoon.

It will also be breezy.

Click here for more weather.

Francesca Williams
BBC News

Victims of crime have been sent too many letters containing spelling mistakes, wrong addresses and other errors, inspectors have found.

Letters from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) were deemed "unsatisfactory" with more than three quarters not properly written.

The CPS said it was "sorry the quality of our letters has not met the expected standard in every case".

HM chief inspector Kevin McGinty said the CPS was "failing badly" after inspecting six areas including the North East.

Welcome to our live coverage of the day's news from across the North East.

You can also stay up to date on BBC Newcastle, BBC Tees and on Look North.

If you want to get in touch with any news or send us photos you can tweet us, external, contact us via our Facebook page, external or email us.

Hartlepool Borough Council says an independent survey has found the building is safe.

John MacMurray is one of thousands of people who struggle to read and write.

Several of Historic England's "at risk" sites have been saved - but many more remain in danger.

UN official Philip Alston said users of a Newcastle foodbank were "under a huge amount of pressure".

The senior Cleveland Police officer is accused of not taking action against sex-pest Simon Hurwood.

Our live updates here have finished for the day but any breaking news, sport or travel will still appear here..

You can also stay up to date on BBC Newcastle, BBC Tees, and on Look North.

We'll be back tomorrow from 08:00 with more live updates.

If you want to get in touch with any news or send us photos you can tweet us, external, contact us via our Facebook page, external, or email us.

Have a lovely evening.

A new village with 1,500 homes, a school, shops and leisure facilities is being built in County Durham.

North East firm Tolent submitted an application for the South Seaham Garden Village earlier this year.

It will be built just south of Dalton-le-Dale close to the A19.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

People living in Redcar and Cleveland are one step closer to having a charity look after its eight parks and green spaces.

The charity Nesta has just awarded £195,000 to help form a "Park Foundation" blueprint.

Redcar and Cleveland Borough council was one of eight authorities to be given a grant.

Stephanie Finnon
BBC Newcastle

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of robbery after staff at a sports club next to Newcastle United's training ground were allegedly threatened with an axe.

Police were called to Blue Flames Sporting Club on Whitley Road in Benton on Monday night.

The two men being questioned are aged 28 and remain in custody, Northumbria Police said.

The inquest has opened into the death of Daniel Sirrell from Peterlee.

The talented footballer died after falling into a canal in Amsterdam in April.

Daniel was 20 and was on holiday with friends.

A post-mortem examination reported the cause of death as drowning.

Image source, HARTON & WESTOE FC

Stuart Whincup
BBC Look North

Cleveland Police has this afternoon suspended a senior officer on suspicion of gross misconduct over allegations they failed to take action against another officer who targeted junior colleagues for sex.

The officer, who has not been named, faces action after former Inspector Simon Hurwood was last week found guilty of gross misconduct after he sent thousands of messages to 21 woman over a 14-year period.

Image source, The Gazette

Harriet Forster died from serious head injuries when she was struck by a boulder in Staithes.