The 54-year-old is accused of inciting racial hatred in speeches referring to "immigrant rapists".

Three gaps along the A19 in Hartlepool could be closed to traffic.

A consultation is starting into the proposed closure of three central reservation gaps on the A19 between the A689 Wolviston Junction and the A179 Sheraton Junction.

Further gaps could be closed in future.

The council says it's also hoping to build a Western Growth Corridor to provide a further route into Hartlepool and a safer route across the A19.

Peter Harris
BBC Look North

A protester accused of stirring up hatred has told a jury he is not a racist.

Billy Charlton is on trial at Newcastle Crown Court where he denies six counts relating to speeches he made in Sunderland.

The court heard he referred to Sunderland women being "used and abused by cowardly immigrants" and on another occasion to "immigrant rapists."

Today he told the jury: "I don't care what anyone says, I am not a racist, I have black friends.

"I meant it specifically to people who are raping, drugging and abusing people in Sunderland.

"I don't give a damn about your colour of skin, it's specifically those who come here and attack the lasses in Sunderland."

He said his reference to "cowardly immigrants" was actually about "rapists" who he said were "animals and monsters".

Mr Charlton, 54, told the court he tried to stop the demonstrations being seen as right wing and said he had refused to be involved with a march by the group Britain First.

The trial continues.

Sian Duili, 47, and her daughter Aisha, eight, were last seen on Tuesday in Barry.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

More than 1,000 people have backed a petition by taxi drivers to stop a clean air toll being imposed on Newcastle's roads.

The Newcastle Hackney Carriage Drivers Association fears the city council is considering imposing a charge of up to £12.50 to drive in the city centre.

Image source, Jeff Overs/BBC

The taxi drivers said the "injustice" would push prices up for motorists and commuters.

Newcastle City Council said no decision on a charging zone has been made.

Two police officers have recorded a song to help raise awareness of mental health issues among emergency services staff.

PC Peter Burns, and PCSO Holly Went, both of Northumbria Police, have produced a cover version of Come Home by One Republic.

They're working with the Blue Light Programme charity on the project.

You can see them on Look North at 18:30 on BBC One.

Image source, Northumbria Police

A fund set up following the death of ex-Middlesbrough player Colin Cooper's son has raised £600,000.

There has been a mixture of reaction to the prime minister winning the confidence vote last night.

The Conservative MP for Berwick-upon-Tweed Anne-Marie Trevelyan says, "The Prime Minister now needs to ramp up government's preparedness for there being no signed treaty by 29th March so that businesses are ready.

"Then we have a decent negotiating position to get a deal which commands support of the House and actually is Brexit."

The Sunderland Conservative Council Group tweeted that Theresa May has the "legitimacy to continue".

As primary school league tables are published, we reveal how long it will take for poor pupils to catch up.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

A restaurant owner who prepared food in basement flooded with raw sewage has been fined.

Images taken by public protection officers reveal the filthy conditions they discovered inside Rotana restaurant on Parliament Road in Middlesbrough.

Raw sewage ran across the floor, filth and grime covered the walls and even a pair of sandals was found amongst the clutter where food was to be prepared.

Image source, Middlebrough Council

Salar Latif arrived at Teesside Magistrates' Court on Tuesday unsure whether or not he should plead guilty to the four separate charges against him.

But the 49-year-old accepted full responsibility after prosecutor, Andrew Perriman, outlined the case against him.

He said Latif had been the owner and operator of Rotana when Environmental Health Officers from the council's Public Protection Service visited in November last year.

Part of the basement area was being used for food preparation and storage, creating a serious risk of contamination.

Image source, Middlesbrough Council

A Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice was served on Latif requiring him to close the restaurant with immediate effect.

He was not allowed to re-open the business until Environmental Health Officers had carried out a further food hygiene assessment and the premises had been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.

Latif, of Granville Road, central Middlesbrough pleaded guilty to four offences under the Food Safety and Hygiene Regulations 2013.

Appearing without legal representation, Latif said he had nothing to say in his defence.

The 48-year-old was fined £600 and ordered to pay £794 towards the Council's costs, plus a £60 victim surcharge.

Image source, Google

Plans to triple the number of student flats at a former hotel site in Durham city centre have been approved.

This week, Durham County Council's Central and East planning committee discussed the latest proposals for the Three Tuns in New Elvet.

Since the hotel's closure in 2013, the space was used by Durham University for postgraduate student housing before being sold off for redevelopment.

New plans by current owners, Three Tuns Developments Ltd, include demolishing and altering parts of the building to boost room numbers from 50 to 168.

Plans include plugging the gap between the former grade-II listed hotel and police station and demolishing existing extensions at the rear to create space for two new student blocks.

Developers and planning officers assured councillors that listed buildings would not be affected by the works with seven car parking spaces and 36 cycle spaces also planned for the site.

Image source, Google

A yellow weather warning has been issued for the North East.

Between 12:00 Saturday and 10:00 Sunday, external, heavy snow and blizzards may develop across Scotland and northern England with a risk of freezing rain in places.

We are being warned to expect possible travel delays on roads and disruption to public transport.

Image source, Met Office

Northumbria Healthcare bosses say they want to stop norovirus rates reaching "critical numbers".

Northumberland County Council plans to stop subsidising the services it provides at community events.

Letters have been sent out to event organisers to inform them that from 1 April, the council will seek to recover the cost it incurs from the provision of support services, such as traffic management, litter-picking and refuse collection.

The cost-cutting proposals, which would save about £50,000 a year, would not apply to Remembrance and Armed Forces parades, the letter explains.

Councillor Scott Dickinson, chairman of Northumberland Labour, has the accused the council's Conservative administration of "playing Scrooge".

He said: "What they fail to recognise is many event organisers already pay for much work together in partnership and the county council, small businesses and many other aspects of Northumberland life benefit from these events."

But Philip Angier, chairman of Alnwick Food Festival, which agreed to phase in charges over two years starting in 2018-19, was more measured about the change.

He said: "Any additional charge for putting on a community event is unwelcome - because we are trying to put back into the community rather than raise the costs to stallholders or ask sponsors to contribute more."

Councillor Glen Sanderson, cabinet member for local services, said: "As we need to find £27m of cuts over the next three years, we have to look at every service we provide and, like other councils, we feel that we can no longer subsidise traffic management and other services for events."

The woman spent a weekend making outfits after the original costumes were thrown out in error.

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This afternoon should be mostly dry with some sunshine.

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Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley has said his firm faces "significant challenges" in turning around the House of Fraser store chain, which it bought in August.

Mr Ashley said he believed that its previous management team "traded the business whilst it was insolvent for a long time".

However, he repeated his intention to turn House of Fraser, which currently has branches in Middlesbrough, Carlisle, Darlington and Gateshead's Metro Centre, into "the Harrods of the High Street".

The Newcastle United owner was speaking as he unveiled Sports Direct's half-yearly results.

In the 26 weeks to 28 October, it saw a 62% rise in pre-tax profits year-on-year to £74.4m.

However, underlying profits saw a 27% slump to £64.4m, reflecting the costs of acquiring House of Fraser.

Image source, Getty Images

"Outside of the House of Fraser acquisition, the Sports Direct Group has had another successful period," said Mr Ashley.

He added that excluding the department store chain, Sports Direct expected to be within its forecast for growth of between 5% to 15% by the end of the financial year.

"Including House of Fraser, we expect to be behind last year's result."

More than 200 acts of vandalism against ambulances have been recorded over the past three years.

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of news, sport and travel from across the North East.

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More than 1,000 people are supporting the taxi drivers while the council says no decision has been made.