Police say a teenager missing from his home in Carlisle could be in Newcastle or Sunderland.

Image source, Family/Police

Liam Percival, 16, was last seen on 31 October, wearing a grey Nike hoodie, black Under Armour tracksuit bottoms, and black Nike trainers.

Officers say they're concerned for his welfare, and they have asked Liam or anyone who knows where he is to get in touch.

BBC Newcastle

A seal that made a "miraculous" recovery after being found with fishing hooks caught in its face and body has been released back into the wild.

Named Helena by rescuers, it was found abandoned and underweight with multiple injuries in Whitley Bay.

The marine mammal underwent surgery to remove its eye at Blue Reef Tynemouth's Marine Rescue Centre.

After a long rehabilitation, Helena has been released back into the North Sea alongside fellow rescue seal Verne.

The Spice Girls will play Sunderland's Stadium of Light next summer, it has been announced.

The concert on 6 June will be the first at the stadium since Beyoncé performed in 2016.

Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Geri Horner and Melanie Chisholm revealed details of their reunion tour today.

The support act on the tour will be Jess Glynne.

Tickets go on sale this Saturday at 10:30.

BBC Newcastle

Hexham Abbey, one of the North East's most important sites of Christian heritage, is to close for up to eight weeks for restoration work.

Essential timber and stone conservation works costing between £80,000 and £100,000 will be carried out from January 7.

Image source, Hexham Abbey

During the closure, services will be held in the adjacent Priory Building.

Rector of Hexham, Canon Dagmar Winter, said its "age and scale" presented the congregation with "complex challenges".

BBC Tees

A primary school has temporarily closed for three days from today due to concerns over the safety of the building.

Barnard Grove Primary School in Hartlepool was closed after the government inspected the external brickwork over the half-term holiday. In 2015, it was rebuilt under the Priority School Building Programme.

Image source, Google

Hartlepool Borough Council is calling for a full and independent survey of the entire building.

Council leader Christopher Akers-Belcher, said: "I am extremely angry and disappointed we have been forced to take this decision and I would like to apologise to the children, their parents, staff and the wider community."

A further update will be provided on Tuesday ahead of the school's expected reopening on Thursday.

Villagers are to hold an afternoon tea for relatives of those killed in WWI, including the Queen's uncle.

The Shields Gazette

Police chiefs have pledged to continue to fight crime after new figures show a 22% rise in offences, external.

Image source, Shields Gazette

BBC Sport

Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez said his players "showed what they can do" as the Magpies claimed their first win of the season against Watford at St James' Park on Saturday.

Ayoze Perez headed Ki Sung-yueng's in-swinging free-kick past Ben Foster in the second half to end the hosts' winless run and lift them out of the relegation zone.

Image source, Getty Images

The Magpies rode their luck in the first half, with Watford duo Adrian Mariappa and Gerard Deulofeu both guilty of spurning excellent opportunities to put the Hornets ahead.

But Newcastle - who lost Yoshinori Muto, Jamaal Lascelles and Jonjo Shelvey to injury before the hour mark - improved after the break to earn their first home points of the season.

Teenager Caitlin Simm says it can be tough and so she enjoys support from a Tyneside charity.

BBC Tees

Three puppies have been stolen during from a house in Frosterley.

Burglars smashed a window of the home on Front Street between 02:30 and 07:00 on Saturday and took a four-week-old brindle Pomeranian/French Bulldog cross and two French Bulldogs – one black and one brown - aged between six months old and one year.

Det Con Graeme Hopkirk said: “We are very concerned for the welfare of these puppies, in particular the four-week-old crossbreed as it is far too young to be separated from its mother.

“We are appealing for anyone who may have been offered any puppies like this for sale, or who knows of anyone who has recently acquired similar puppies, to contact us as soon as possible.

“We believe this to be a targeted incident and would like to reassure local residents that we do not believe there to be a threat to the wider community.”

The 39-year-old man was found unconscious in the building, and died later in hospital.

Television presenter Ant McPartlin and his estranged wife Lisa Armstrong (pictured) have begun a divorce court fight over money.

A High Court judge has begun analysing issues relating to the division of assets.

Mr Justice Mostyn oversaw a preliminary hearing in the Family Division of the High Court on Monday.

He has placed limits on what can be reported. Another judge has already drawn the pair's marriage to a close.

Image source, PA

Judge Alun Jenkins granted a decree nisi at hearing in the the Central Family Court in London in London in October.

Mr McPartlin, best known for his partnership with Declan Donnelly, announced that he was splitting from his wife earlier this year.

Ms Armstrong was in court, but Mr McPartlin did not attend the hearing.

Mr Justice Mostyn ruled that detail relating to the pair's confidential financial information would not be permitted.

Further hearings are expected to take place in the near future.

Former Blur frontman Damon Albarn is to play two tiny gigs in the North East before his current band The Good, The Bad and The Queen go on a national tour.

He will play Tynemouth CIU Club on 26 November, with two further nights at Cullercoats Crescent Club on the 27th and 28th.

The band, made up of Albarn, Paul Simonon (formerly of The Clash), Tony Allen (Fela Kuti) and Simon Tong (The Verve), are touring their new album Merrie Land, which is out on 16 November.

Tickets go on sale at 09:00 on Wednesday.

Image source, Google

Hartlepool Mail
Newspaper

Plans for a £6m recycling centre bringing up to 50 new jobs to Hartlepool have been given the green light, external.

Image source, Hartlepool Mail

Planning approval has been given after construction had started too early on the site in Hartlepool.

Sunderland Echo
Newspaper

A Sunderland mother has spoken of how her 'miracle baby' inspired her and her husband to lose 20st, external.

Image source, Sunderland Echo

BBC Sport

Aiden McGeady scored a second-half brace to send Sunderland up to second in League One following victory at Plymouth on Saturday.

McGeady broke the deadlock with a superb strike from the edge of the box after beating a couple of defenders.

He doubled his tally from the penalty spot following Tafari Moore's foul on substitute Luke O'Nien as Sunderland made it five league wins in a row.

The opening goal spurred Plymouth into action and it required a diving save by Jon McLaughlin to turn Graham Carey's 20-yard free-kick from the left around the post in the 62nd minute.

Diversions have been put in place today on the A69 in Northumberland after two HGVs crashed last night.

Emergency services attended the scene at Haydon Bridge at 22:20 where both drivers - aged 47 and 54 - were taken to hospital.

Their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

The road is expected to be closed until midday.

Sergeant Alan Keenleyside said:

Firefighters in Newcastle came to the aid of a woman trapped in a locked car park last night.