1. Restaurant returns staff loans after 'sacking row'published at 14:45 Greenwich Mean Time 10 March 2021

    The Tomahawk Steakhouse chain asked furloughed staff to loan it 10% of their wages to cover costs.

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  2. Hats off to Shrek-turn to school teacherpublished at 12:59 Greenwich Mean Time 10 March 2021

    A teacher spends 70 hours making Shrek hats for all her pupils to celebrate their return to school.

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  3. Listen: Boreham Wood v Torquay Unitedpublished at 11:30 Greenwich Mean Time 10 March 2021

    Listen to BBC Radio Devon commentary as Boreham Wood host Torquay United in the National League.

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  4. Durham re-sign Australia's Bancroftpublished at 11:28 Greenwich Mean Time 10 March 2021

    Durham re-sign Australian Cameron Bancroft for the 2021 County Championship campaign.

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  5. Result: How you think Premier League table will finishpublished at 11:19 Greenwich Mean Time 10 March 2021

    With only 10 games to go for most Premier League teams until the end of the season, you predicted where you think each side will finish in the table come May.

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  6. Portsmouth 0-2 Sunderlandpublished at 22:17 Greenwich Mean Time 9 March 2021

    Charlie Wyke scores as Sunderland beat under-pressure Kenny Jackett's Portsmouth to move two points off League One's top two.

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  7. Altrincham 1-1 Hartlepool Unitedpublished at 21:56 Greenwich Mean Time 9 March 2021

    Hartlepool move up to second in the National League table after taking a point at Altrincham with 10 men.

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  8. Rainbows springing up across South Tynesidepublished at 17:11 Greenwich Mean Time 9 March 2021

    Rainbows and thank you NHS signs are being painted on roads across South Tyneside.

    A total of 18 rainbow roads are being created close to healthcare services in South Shields, Jarrow and Hebburn, as well as in Cleadon, Boldon Village and Whitburn.

    NHS rainbow and thank you signImage source, South Tyneside council
    Quote Message

    It is important to remember that the death toll during the second lockdown has been far higher than during the first. For this reason, we want to remind health workers that we continue to stand with them and appreciate all they do."

    Tracey Dixon, Leader, South Tyneside Council

    A number will also be painted on the approach roads to South Tyneside District Hospital.

    It's hoped the gesture from South Tyneside Council will boost the morale of NHS staff and show the borough's gratitude.

    Quote Message

    The rainbow has become a symbol of the efforts of all who are working in the NHS during the pandemic and this gesture from South Tyneside Council will no doubt put a smile on the faces of many of our staff coming into our hospital sites at this difficult time."

    Ken Bremner, South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust

  9. Alnwick's historic tower is closed for repairs againpublished at 15:33 Greenwich Mean Time 9 March 2021

    The Bondgate Tower in Alnwick has been closed again for three weeks after it was damaged by a driver who didn’t report the incident.

    It’s the latest in a number of crashes into the Grade I listed structure, leading some to call for it to be closed to traffic permanently.

    Bondgate Tower dates from the Middle Ages and has stood at the end of Alnwick marketplace since about 1450.

    It was closed for a week last year when it was hit by a vehicle.

    Closure signs around Bondgate Tower
  10. Trainee doctors ease vaccine pressurespublished at 14:15 Greenwich Mean Time 9 March 2021

    BBC Look North
    North East and Cumbria

    Trainee doctors have been getting valuable experience and freeing up qualified doctors to do other work by helping out at vaccination centres in the region.

    The national programme has placed unprecedented demand on local health services in recent weeks.

    At the vaccination centre in a North Shields sports hall, 50 students from Newcastle University have been helping to ease the pressure, by administering jabs.

    One of them is Miranda Clarke (pictured below), who said: "The first person I vaccinated was 103 years old and he'd survived the Spanish Flu, he was born in 1917 and it was just amazing to have a five-minute conversation with him, and these are lives and people and memories that I definitely won't forget."

    Medical student Miranda Clarke

    Ollie Kirby (pictured below) is a fourth-year medical student who works two days a week at the vaccination centre. He said: "In this situation we are directly helping out, we are a tangible benefit to services.

    "It's a hugely valuable opportunity to us to meet them, to explore what their concerns or fears might be about the process and go some way to address those, give reassurance and administer the vaccine."

    Medical student Ollie Kirby
  11. Boro's Dijksteel out for rest of seasonpublished at 14:07 Greenwich Mean Time 9 March 2021

    Middlesbrough defender Anfernee Dijksteel will miss the rest of the Championship season with an ankle injury.

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  12. Humpback whale visit inspires sand artpublished at 13:40 Greenwich Mean Time 9 March 2021

    A woman creates sand art after being inspired by a visit from a humpback whale in Northumberland.

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  13. Three Welsh-English clashes in Euro Challenge Cuppublished at 12:59 Greenwich Mean Time 9 March 2021

    All three Welsh sides in the European Challenge Cup will face English opposition in the last 16.

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  14. Weapons and drugs seized in Sunderlandpublished at 12:12 Greenwich Mean Time 9 March 2021

    Two men have been arrested after police found three machetes, two axes and drugs with a street value of £12,000 in raids on two addresses in Sunderland.

    Police say the raids last week at High Street East and Tower Street West were part of an investigation into violent crime called Operation Sentinel.

    Weapons seized by Northumbria PoliceImage source, Northumbria Police

    A 28-year-old man was arrested at High Street East after officers found £8,000 worth of cocaine along with various drug equipment.

    A 29-year-old man was arrested the next day at Tower Street West where £4,000 worth of amphetamine and cannabis were seized, as well as more than a dozen weapons (pictured above) including an air rifle, crossbow, knife and BB gun.

    The pair have been released while investigations continue.

    Drugs seized by Northumbria PoliceImage source, Northumbria Police
    Quote Message

    We will continue to detect and disrupt criminal activity across our communities and these seizures will inevitably provide a significant dent in the pockets of those involved.

    Quote Message

    We make no apology for our robust stance on serious and violent crime, and hope this offers reassurance to the community."

    Det Ch Insp Sean Mcguigan, Northumbria Police

  15. Daughter of former Boro coach wants limit on heading the ballpublished at 12:10 Greenwich Mean Time 9 March 2021

    BBC Sport

    The daughter of former Middlesbrough coach Gordon McQueen, who was recently diagnosed with vascular dementia, wants the law surrounding certain aspects of football changed.

    Hayley McQueen has been speaking for the first time, since her dad's diagnosis.

    A parliamentary inquiry into the link between sport and long-term brain injury starts today.

    Gordon McQueen in 1983Image source, PA Media

    Hayley said her family wants to raise awareness about the dangers of heading a football, saying: "I think that the government is getting involved is massive, it's just almost criminal it's taken so many high-profile deaths for this to be dealt with at the highest level.

    "Football may change as a result of it, but so what if it's changing peoples lives and their futures, does it really matter?

    "Why not just bring in a limit on heading a football not just at youth level but at professional level as well."

  16. Dinosaur park 'turbocharge' plan unveiledpublished at 06:26 Greenwich Mean Time 9 March 2021

    A planned upgrade at Middlesbrough's Teessaurus Park includes making sculptures "roar" at visitors.

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  17. Student's sudden death 'not caused by drugs'published at 18:32 Greenwich Mean Time 8 March 2021

    A warning about illicit drugs was made when Stephanie Sillifant and three others died in one weekend.

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  18. Cannabis farm worth £500,000 found in Middlesbroughpublished at 16:06 Greenwich Mean Time 8 March 2021

    A cannabis farm, which police believe could be worth more than £500,000, was found on a residential street in Middlesbrough after an anonymous tip-off.

    In total 112 well-established cannabis plants and a further 500 seedlings were found at the house on Kildare Street this morning.

    Police say overall the farm could be worth up to £514,000 and say as well as the plants, they discovered wiring at the house which posed a serious fire risk.

    Cannabis farm at Kildare StreetImage source, Cleveland Police

    No arrests have been made and police say investigations are continuing.

    Quote Message

    We have removed drugs which would have no doubt ended up on the streets of Cleveland. These criminals put people at risk and it won’t be tolerated in our neighbourhoods.”

    Sgt John Sproson, Cleveland Police

  19. Vaccine bus parks up at hard-to-reach communitiespublished at 15:53 Greenwich Mean Time 8 March 2021

    The bus travels to Newcastle communities who cannot get to vaccination centres or where uptake is low.

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  20. Gypsy vaccination plea to enable Appleby fairpublished at 15:05 Greenwich Mean Time 8 March 2021

    Billy Welch says the more people get vaccinated, the sooner events like Appleby Horse Fair can resume.

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