The NSPCC has appealed for any victims of historical sex abuse to contact them no matter how much time has passed since the crime was committed.

The charity's comments come following the conclusion of the trial of facts of former football coach John Marshall at Newcastle Crown Court.

A jury decided today that he abused five boys when he was a football coach in the late 1970s and 1980s.

Two of his victims came forward after contacting an NSPCC hotline set up two years ago.

Marshall, from Longbenton, in North Tyneside was deemed unfit to face trial after being assessed by psychologists and pyschiatrists.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Daniel Holland

The future of a historic building in North Shields remains uncertain after plans to convert it into homes were turned down.

Preston Towers in Preston Road dates back to 1875 and was used as a care home until 2012.

It's been empty for the last six years.

However, planning committee members refused an application to bring the site back into use as six flats and four houses at a meeting on Tuesday morning.

Image source, Sunderland City Council

Sunderland's new Northern Spire bridge which opened in August has won a top engineering award.

It's been named Project of the Year: Engineering, Construction and Infrastructure 2018 at the Association for Project Management (APM) awards in London.

National League side Hartlepool United sack manager Matthew Bates after nine months in charge.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen worked with a consortium of global energy giants to press the case for a clean energy plant to be located locally.

There are hopes a multimillion-pound clean energy project could create thousands of jobs on the site of the former SSI site at Redcar.

Mr Houchen (pictured) described it as "a sign of better things to come" for the area.

"This is a project of national significance, and once developed will create thousands of jobs and even more in our local supply chain", he said:

"Due to the sheer size and scale, it won't happen overnight, but to be selected out of 50 business models by this major international consortium is a clear vote of confidence in our local economy and our skilled workforce.

"Let there be no doubt, we're ready to deliver this monumental project."

Image source, Tees Valley Combine Authority

New Government analysis suggests that the North East economy would be hardest hit if the UK leaves Europe without a deal or with a Canada style free trade agreement.

The North West, Northern Ireland and the West Midlands would also struggle under these deals.

The analysis was produced by departments across Whitehall in a document called The Long Term Economic Analysis paper.

The 83-page document was drawn up by officials from Whitehall departments including the Treasury, the Department for Exiting the EU, Industry, Environment, International Trade and the Home Office.

A consortium of energy giants announces plans for a gas-powered energy plant on Teesside.

Referees' assessor Eddie Wolstenholme is talking in hospital after collapsing before Burnley's game with Newcastle on Monday.

John Marshall was arrested in 2017 as part of an operation into abuse at North East football clubs.

House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative Berwick MP Anne-Marie Trevelyan spoke at this morning's Prime Minister's Questions about Brexit.

She said with any divorce proceedings if a fair and equitable decision cannot be reached "they go to a judge for a decision".

In this case, she said, "Parliament must be the judge."

Ms Trevelyan asked if the prime minister agreed that once Parliament has rejected the deal "the UK would be better off setting the money aside to prepare for a clean global Brexit."

Theresa May said backing this deal meant we will control our own borders, end free movement, create more jobs and can create trade deals around the world.

She said: "If we reject this deal we go back to square one which threatens our economy and there will be more uncertainty and divisions."

"The choice is between backing the national interest or going back to square one if it is rejected," she clarifies.

Mark Denten
BBC Look North

A jury has decided a man abused five boys when he was a football coach in the late 1970s and 1980s.

John Marshall, 71, denied 11 charges of indecent assault.

Two of his victims came forward after contacting an NSPCC hotline set up two years ago.

Marshall, from Longbenton, in North Tyneside was deemed unfit to face trial after being assessed by psychologists and psychiatrists.

But in a trial of the facts at Newcastle Crown Court a jury had to establish whether or not he committed the acts he was charged with.

A photo of teenager who was killed in a hit-and-run crash has been released.

Newcastle University student Emma Guilbert, 18, died on Monday - three days after being hit by a car in Wingrove Road,North, Fenham on Friday.

A 31-year-old man was arrested and released under investigation.

Image source, FAMILY PHOTO

BBC Tees

Body cameras are being trialled again in County Durham after firefighters were attacked earlier this month.

The scheme was scrapped last year because it was deemed unnecessary, but on Bonfire Night fire crews faced four attacks involving large gangs wearing balaclavas and carrying bottles.

No one was injured but it was enough for body-worn cameras to be reintroduced.

A £13m Metro depot which will help deliver the system's new fleet of trains is to be built in North Tyneside.

The metro depot at Gosforth in Newcastle is being redeveloped and while that happens, a satellite depot is to be built on vacant land at Wallsend Road in Howdon.

It will also play a key role in the phased delivery of the new £500m Metro fleet, which it is hoped will begin arriving at the end of 2021, and with it the long-awaited removal of the current trains.

Peter Harris
BBC Look North

A chemist accused of strangling his wife has told a jury he lied to the police because he "panicked."

Mitesh Patel claims a burglar killed his wife Jessica at their Middlesbrough home in May.

When the police arrived at the scene he told them he had not seen his wife since lunchtime, only to later admit he was in the house alone with her for 42 minutes after she got home at 19:00.

The prosecution claims that was when he murdered her.

Today Mr Patel told Teesside Crown Court he lied fearing suspicion would fall upon him as his wife lay dead in the living room.

He said: "Jess was in that state. I was the last person in the house.

"All that came into my mind, I thought the police will think I've done this.

"I'm going to get in to trouble for something I have not done here."

Mr Patel denies murder and the trial continues.

Image source, IAN MCINTYRE/THE GAZETTE

There are hopes a multimillion-pound clean energy project could create thousands of jobs on Teesside.

A consortium of energy giants has announced plans for one of the world's first gas-powered energy plants to use full-chain carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS) at scale.

This means CO2 from the plant will be captured and then stored via pipelines under the North Sea.

Construction could get under way in 2020, and one potential location is the site of the former SSI site at Redcar.

Image source, STDC

Hundreds of properties in Sunderland have been affected by a power cut., external

Northern Powergrid said the unexpected outage is affecting 1,228 customers in the SR4 area.

It estimates the power will be back on by 13:15.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for the North East for tomorrow.

It is warning that a spell of wet and windy weather is expected, with a small chance of very strong and disruptive winds from 03:00 and ending at 14:00.

It says there could be damage to buildings with tiles being blown from roofs. Disruption to road, rail, air and ferry services may be affected. Some roads and bridges may close. Large waves are expected along the coast.

Hartlepool Mail
Newspaper

Fly-tipping in Hartlepool has increased by more than 130% in the last five years, external according to new figures.

Image source, Hartlepool

BBC Look North
North East and Cumbria

A second public meeting is being held today over controversial plans to build up to 1,000 homes in the north of Newcastle.

The Banks Group is proposing to build Kingston Village on a 120 acre site between Dinnington and Kingston Park.

The scheme will include a network of cycleways and improved public transport.

The company held their first of three meetings last night in Dinnington, and the second meeting is this afternoon at Kingston Park Community Centre.