The Department for International Trade joins the Treasury in opening an office in Darlington.

Council finance chiefs had previously said they "were not in a position" to help everyone.

Michael Brown from Amble in Northumberland was infected with coronavirus at the very start of the pandemic.

He worked as lorry driver and said he was normally "as fit as a lop until I caught this virus".

He hasn't been able to work since he fell ill and was taken to hospital. He said it's been a horrible experience: "I did ask them to let me die at one point as I was so ill, because I was fed up of the pain and everything."

Since then he's been in and out of hospital for treatment and has been told he has long Covid.

He said: "I'm aching from head to toe, with a bad head and a load of other things. The only place I haven't got any pain is in my chest, I can't stop coughing and I'm very, very weak, very short of breath."

Gateshead's Millennium Bridge will turn yellow tonight marking the anniversary since the first national lockdown and Marie Curie's National Day of Reflection.

A minute's silence will be held twice today to reflect on the collective loss and support those who have been bereaved.

Image source, Gateshead Council

Four people explain how their working lives have been transformed since lockdowns began a year ago.

A year since lockdown was announced, we look at how life in the North East and Cumbria was affected.

Front-line health workers talk about the strain of the last year and their hopes for the future.

Paul Robson denies murdering his ex and attempting to murder a youth she was in a relationship with.

Listen to BBC radio commentary from Tuesday's action in the National League.

People are being warned not to throw batteries away with household waste following fire at a recycling.

The Wrekenton recycling centre in Gateshead was closed after a serious fire which it is thought might have been caused by a battery.

Last week a fire in South Shields was started by sparks from a phone battery which had been thrown into the waste.

Marc Morley, from Gateshead Council, said: “Two fires in as many weeks show the very real dangers of throwing old phone or laptop batteries into the bin.

“These types of batteries can hold a surprisingly powerful charge and when they are thrown into a bin there is a serious risk that they could be damaged and touch something metal, like the inside of the bin lorry or even an empty tin can. This is known to generate sparks which can ignite everything around it."

Image source, TWFRS

Hundreds are expected to take up the offer of a Covid jab at the home of Middlesbrough FC.

Adam Jackson pleads not guilty to the murder of Grace Thorpe and will stand trial in July.

BBC local radio will continue to broadcast ball-by-ball county cricket commentary for the next four seasons.

Three people were arrested in Newcastle as hundreds took part in a demonstration on Sunday, despite lockdown restrictions

The action was to highlight the issue of violence against women, and opposing a bill being debated in Parliament which would give police more powers to curb public protests.

Demonstrators carried signs criticising the government and the police.

The march began in the city centre, before moving to the civic centre and Exhibition Park.

It was largely peaceful but two men were issued with a summons under coronavirus legislation while a woman was arrested and issued with a warning for possession of cannabis.

A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: "Ensuring the safety of the public is our utmost priority and [the] protests in Newcastle passed without incident.

"Under the current Covid legislation, protests are not exempt from the restrictions due the risk that large gatherings pose to public safety.

"There was an increased police presence in the city to deliver a proportionate policing response to any activity taking place."

Bringing you the latest news from across the North East from Monday 22 March to Friday 26 March 2021

Mark Lawrenson takes on racing driver Billy Monger, the star of Comic Relief's Big Red Nose Challenge, to make predictions for this weekend's FA Cup sixth-round ties and Premier League fixtures.

A campaign raises over £200,000 for the family after a suspected arson attack destroyed their home.

Newcastle boss Steve Bruce still has the support of owner Mike Ashley despite a poor defeat by fellow Premier League strugglers Brighton on Saturday.

Paul Williams has faced criticism for the 2011 posts, which included a vulgar term used about women.

Brighton ease their relegation concerns at the expense of fellow strugglers Newcastle as Graham Potter's side move six points clear of the Premier League's bottom three.