How has Gateshead's season unravelled to the point of having one first-team player contracted for next season?

BBC Newcastle

A County Durham man's described the moment his 12-year-old step-son was able to take himself to bed for the first time thanks to a specially built bedroom.

Benjamin Edmundson-Brown, from Easington, has a rare genetic disorder and can't walk, talk or eat by himself.

His family were struggling to carry him safely up the stairs so they decided to build a bedroom for him next to their living room.

With the help of fundraising events and donations, £17,000 was collected and Benjamin's bedroom has now been completed.

His step-dad Peter said: "The first night he went to his bedroom, my wife Victoria and I sobbed buckets.

"He has much more settled nights. Upstairs was a totally different sleeping arrangement on a mattress surrounded by crash mats on the wall."

Damage valued at more than £800 was caused when a window and door was vandalised in Bishop Auckland,

BBC Tees

Police are trying to trace the owner of a handbag which they believe has been stolen.

The Kurt Geiger bag was recovered by Cleveland Police officers in Stockton town centre yesterday.

Image source, Cleveland Police

A 38-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of theft and has been released while investigations continue.

The FA says it is aware of an incident at Gateshead where comments were broadcast on the PA system at Saturday's game with Barrow.

He was contacted by a fraudster who claimed to be from the police and gave his money to a courier.

A football fans' group is crowdfunding to start a new club amid continuing problems at Gateshead FC.

Gateshead Soul Supporters Association says it could be up and running in just three months, in time for the start of the next season.

The current situation at the club was "nothing short of abysmal", a spokesperson said.

The club were kicked out of their ground on 29 March over money owed to Gateshead Council for rent, although they have been told they can play their remaining home games this season at the International Stadium.

A Gateshead Soul spokesperson said its "only option as a group of fans that will ensure football survives in Gateshead under the Gateshead name is to form a new club together".

"Establishing a new club will be a tough project, however with the full backing of the community we will make this work," they said.

Image source, Getty Images

Metro services between St James and Wallsend won't begin running again until tomorrow evening, transport chiefs say.

As we told you earlier, services between St James and Wallsend have now been off for several days following trouble with overhead power lines.

Nexus, which operates the transport system, says engineers are working "round the clock" to repair the overhead line in the Chillingham Road area.

It adds repairs are "complex due to the extent of the damage caused when a Metro train brought the overhead line down on Monday".

A replacement bus service, the number 900, is running in the area.

Northumbria Police says "identifying and safeguarding vulnerable people" is a major objective.

Andrew Hartley
BBC Look North

A man has appeared in court accused of criminal damage to the constituency office of the Bishop Auckland Labour MP Helen Goodman.

Colin Dodds, 44, of Douthwaite Road in Bishop Auckland, faces one charge of criminal damage to a window, window pane and door to the value of £866.

At Newton Aycliffe Magistrates' Court this afternoon, Mr Dodds was granted bail to appear again on 30 May.

A second man, Alan Dent, has been charged with the same offence but he did not appear in court.

The attack on the office on Cockton Hill Road in Bishop Auckland took place last month.

Everyone loves an unusual polling station, and James, who works for the Local Democracy Reporting Service, has found one in Sunderland:

Sunderland Echo
Newspaper

The number of people caught carrying knives and other weapons in Sunderland has rocketed by more than a quarter in 12 months., external

Image source, Sunderland Echo

Jackie tweeted us this marvellous photo of the River Tyne in the sunshine.

We love to see your snaps of the North East in all its glory, so if you've got one tweet us @BBCNEandCumbria, external.

Voters in Gateshead are being invited to trial a new e-voting system.

The Shields Gazette

Here's today's front page and a link to the top story., external

Image source, Shields Gazette

Twenty-four people have been arrested across Tyneside in the first operation of its kind in the Northumbria force area to target the national drug crime known as "county lines" where gangs use vulnerable or young people to traffic drugs.

The raids took place in Byker and Wallsend yesterday at the same time others were being carried out in Stevenage, Norwich, Glasgow and London.

The local operation saw 18 men and six women arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A Drugs.

Image source, Northumbria Police

Tynesider Gary Wilson stands on the brink of a first appearance in the final of the World Snooker Championship.

The 33-year-old from Wallsend booked his place in the last four by beating Ali Carter 13-9 in their quarter-final yesterday.

He'll now meet tournament favourite Judd Trump in the semi-final, with the first session starting at 19:00.

It's a remarkable achievement by Wilson, who had to come through a qualifying tournament to make it to the main event at The Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.

Image source, PA

Hartlepool Mail
Newspaper

There were more than two stalking and harassment cases reported every day in Hartlepool last year, figures reveal., external

Image source, Hartlepool Mail

Colin Briggs
Look North

It's 50 years since the Esso Northumbria, the biggest ship in the world at the time, was launched from the Swan Hunter yard in Wallsend.

The ship dominated the town during its construction. It weighed in at a quarter of a million tons and was built to carry crude oil from the Persian Gulf.

It cost £6.5m to build. That's about £120m at today's prices!