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.

Lucy Moody
Journalist

Fire crews attending care fires in Southwick, Sunderland last night have been subject to "unacceptable levels of abuse".

Crews were called out to a car fire at 17:22 yesterday at Greystone Place and were pelted with missiles and fireworks by a group of youths aged between 10 and 19.

Just after 19:00 the crews returned to the area following a further report on a car fire and again they were subjected to fireworks and other objects.

Fortunately there were no injuries to firefighters or appliances.

Image source, Tyne and Wear Fire & Rescue Service

TWFRS Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Alan Robson says this take the abuse against his firefighters to a new unacceptable level.

He added: "This led us to make the very rare decision to only attend life safety incidents within the area. Our firefighters welfare is of the highest priority and this cannot be compromised by the despicable actions of a minority of thoughtless young people."

If anyone has any information, contact CrimeStoppers on 0800555111.

BBC Newcastle

Parts of Newcastle are in darkness after a power cut affecting more than 2,000 properties and taking with it street and traffic lights.

Lights went out across the city centre and surrounding areas just after 17:00 - with power expected to return by 19:00.

Northern Powergrid says it's because of a problem with cables or equipment.

Boy racers in Blyth have been targeted by police in a bid to crackdown on anti-social behaviour.

It comes after members of the community fear the sea-front was becoming a racetrack.

Several drivers have been given speeding tickets by officers while 15 others received formal warnings following complaints by people living nearby.

The force says anti-social behaviour in the area is down eighty-four percent as a result.

Blyth Neighbourhood Sgt Jonny Pallace said: "When residents in Blyth raised concerns about anti-social behaviour associated with so-called 'boy racers' and car 'meet ups' in the area we were determined to clampdown on this type of activity.

"Unfortunately, we have already seen the devastating consequences of driving dangerous on our roads - and I would urge anyone who thinks it's acceptable to behave in this way to think again."

Lucy Moody
Journalist

If you're a story lover In Country Durham you can now access hundreds more free eBooks through libraries online.

Library members can already download eBooks free of charge but thanks to a new contract they can now choose from more audio books than ever before.

Joy Allen, cabinet member for transformation, said: “There’s sometimes a perception that eBooks and eAudiobooks are only for people with visual or hearing impairments and reading difficulties, but they are also a great way to incorporate reading into a busy lifestyle.

Image source, Durham County Council

“Some people can’t make it to our libraries for a variety of reasons so digital books are an exciting new way for us to bring library services to a new audiences and the BorrowBox app makes it so easy to do."

The tainted batch of heroin may be laced with drugs used in operations or on animals.

Lucy Moody
Journalist

This has become a bit of a tradition for a Tuesday afternoon...

Here is my tweet of the day and it's an inspirational one.

Below is the story of Maxine Wren from County Durham who refused a gastric band and instead went from a size 36 to 8 through joining a local slimming group, external.

Lucy Moody
Journalist

Police have seized £15,000 in cash, £2,500 worth of designer clothing and suspected cannabis during a raid on Violet Close in Norton yesterday.

A 22-year-old male and a 34-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of drugs offences and a 49-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of drugs offences and aggravated public order.

A 25-year-old man was charged with disqualified driving and having no insurance.

He is due to appear at Teesside Magistrates' Court later this month.

Sergeant Millward, from Billingham Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “We would always encourage people to come forward with information relating to drugs activity in their area.

"Yesterday’s action shows that we will act upon information passed to us in order to rid the streets of drugs.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Cleveland Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or www.crimestoppers-uk.org, external

James Harrison
Local Democracy Reporter

A runaway Shetland pony is among reasons why plans for a new village off-licence in County Durham could be refused.

Plans for a new shop on Front Street in Sherburn Village, just east of Durham City are to be discussed next week.

Amrik Singh, has requested permission to sell alcohol from 11:00 – 21:30 Monday – Saturday and 12:00 – 20:30 on Sundays.

But despite several letters to the council supporting Mr Singh, others, including Durham Constabulary, have criticised the scheme

Image source, Durham County Council

One objection sent to the council centres around a pony living in a nearby front garden with fears the animal, which recently escaped, could be upset by youths If the licence is granted.

Council licensing officers have made several recommendations they want to see included to prevent under-age alcohol sales.

Planning officers have also noted that changing the premises from its current designated use as an office to a shop would require a separate application for a temporary or permanent alteration.

BBC Sport

Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez has told his squad to mute the sound on the TV when a pundit speaks - unless it is club legend Alan Shearer. (Newcastle Chronicle), external

Image source, Reuters

Sunderland Echo
Newspaper

Legendary pop act The Spice Girls are set to spice up the Stadium of Light on a major comeback tour. , external

Image source, Sunderland Echo

BBC Newcastle

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue says up to 70 jobs could go at the service as it tries to save £3m.

The chief fire officer says his organisation had already seen its budget slashed by almost a fifth - just over £11m - since 2010.

A Home Office statement says single purpose fire and rescue authorities will see an increase in core spending power of 1.2% in cash terms in 2018/19.

It adds that it's the responsibility of fire and rescue services to ensure that they have the appropriate number of firefighters to deliver their core functions.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Chris Binding

Council bosses have written to emergency services after a city street and new estate in Sunderland are sharing the same name.

Work began on the new Barnes View housing development, in Nookside earlier this year.

The development is officially registered as Birchberry Close but it shares the Barnes view name with another street a short distance away.

Councillor Antony Mullen, who represents Barnes ward for the Conservatives, has previously called on the developer, Engie, to remove the name Barnes View from their marketing website and in recent weeks, Sunderland Council has raised their concerns to emergency services.

Image source, Barnes View Development Nookside

Engie have confirmed that Barnes View marketing boards and all related material will be taken down when the estate is complete in December.

Legal requirements for a registering a new street address include a house number, street name and Sunderland postcode.

A Sunderland City Council spokesman said it has "no statutory powers over the marketing name of a development".

Lucy Moody
Journalist

We've got an update for you in regards to Pudsey's whereabouts!

He's been spotted at Sophellies at Kirkleatham Museum.

Stephanie Finnon
BBC Newcastle

A historic house where railway pioneers George and Robert Stephenson once lived is up for grabs.

Dial Cottage is a semi-detached two-storey property in Forest Hall.

It was built in the late 18th or early 19th Century and was the family home of father and son George and Robert Stephenson, the renowned railway engineers between 1805 and 1823.

It is where some of their earliest work on locomotives took place.

Now North Tyneside Council is inviting "expressions of interest" from potential purchasers.

BBC Tees

A charity is warning more people in the BBC Tees region will need to use foodbanks this winter unless there's more reform to the controversial benefit Universal Credit.

The Trussell Trust says there's been a 13% rise in foodbank use across the country compared to this time last year.

It says the five week wait for a first Universal Credit payment should be reduced - and if it's not, all new claims for the benefit should be put on hold.

Image source, AFP / Getty Images

It was announced yesterday that universal credit claimants would be given more time to switch to the new benefit and wouldn't have to wait as long for their money.

Debt repayments will also be reduced.

Abi Knowles the co-ordinator of the Hartlepool Foodbank says the demand for help is continuing to rise.

She added: "We've seen an increase in the amount of people we're giving food out to.

"A busy week for us used to be probably 60 vouchers coming through which represented around 100 people, last week we saw around 120 to 130."

Experts who were supposed to assist surgeons carrying out the first robotic heart valve operation of its kind in the UK left the hospital theatre before the procedure was finished and the patient died days later, an inquest has heard.

A major investigation was launched by Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust following the death of Stephen Pettitt, 69, (pictured), from Whitley Bay, at the Freeman Hospital in March 2015.

He suffered multiple organ failure after the procedure led by heart surgeon Sukumaran Nair and the incident was investigated by police, the inquest at Newcastle Civic Centre was told.

It was later found Mr Nair had been offered training on the use of the robot with the hospital's gynaecology department, but he did not take it up.

Expert assistants in the use of the sophisticated Da Vinci robot, known as proctors, were present for only some of the procedure on Mr Pettitt, but left part-way through.

The proctors were not from the manufacturer Intuitive Services, but a different firm called Edwards Lifesciences.

Paul Renforth, a co-ordinator in the use of robotics at the Freeman Hospital, told the inquest the proctors left without any staff being aware they were going.

Mr Renforth, who was in and out of theatre, told coroner Karen Dilks the atmosphere in the room was tense.

Mr Pettit's wife, sister and daughter were at the inquest.

Prof Naeem Soomro, director of robotic surgery, said the trust had operated with robots 2,500 times, with more than 30 surgeons trained in their use, and it was a national leader in the field.

Robotic surgery was an extension of what was commonly referred to as keyhole surgery, he said.

The inquest continues.

Chief fire officer Chris Lowther said the unit's "finite resources" had to be placed where there was "greatest risk".

Lucy Moody
Journalist

It's fair to say the excitement for Children in Need is building day by day.

The shops are now packed with brightly coloured merchandise and school across the north east are preparing their fundraising events.

With just over a week to go till the big day a very special guest has stated his week long tour.

Yes, I'm talking about Pudsey!

Throughout the week Pudsey and the BBC Tees team are visiting schools and businesses across County Durham, Teesside and North Yorkshire.

Don't forget, if you see him don't forget to give him a big wave.