Sunderland's League One automatic promotion hopes suffer a big blow following defeat at Blackpool.

Bowlers come to the party with some fine performances on the second day of the latest round of the County Championship.

Relive day three of nine County Championship matches, as England's Ollie Pope and Joe Root both score big runs.

Essex hold a slender lead with just four second-innings wickets in hand as Durham take charge on day two at Chelmsford.

Relive Saturday's EFL action as Norwich are promoted to the Premier League after Swansea and Brentford fail to win.

Live text commentary as Newcastle beat West Ham in the Premier League to move nine points clear of the bottom three.

A 12-year-old boy was arrested after a 13-year-old boy was assaulted and robbed in Billingham.

The teenager was punched and kicked outside Windlestone Road shops at 09:00 after he was approached by a group of about 10 young teens, Cleveland Police said.

He is being treated in hospital for his injuries.

Money was stolen in the attack and police are asking anyone who saw what happened to come forward.

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Hull FC play Warrington Wolves in the Super League and Bradford Bulls host Halifax Panthers in the Championship - listen to BBC local radio commentary.

Relive day two of nine County Championship matches, including James Bracey's century for Gloucestershire against Somerset.

Daniel Holland
Local Democracy Reporter

A project set up in Newcastle to identify Covid cases among key workers showing no symptons is being reduced at two sites in the city, because not enough people are coming forward.

Take up for rapid-turnaround lateral flow tests, at the Newcastle Civic Centre and Westgate College sites, has “consistently remained well below the available capacity”.

The council said an estimated 7,500 tests have been conducted across the two sites so far, roughly 800 per week – 85% short of the maximum capacity of 5,200 per week.

Both venues will now see the number of days they're open reduced.

A testing facility in the civic centre’s banqueting hall will open from 08:00-16:00 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and the Westgate College site will operate from 08:00-16:00 on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Last week the government announced everyone in England can now get two lateral flow tests a week, which can provide results in just half an hour, every week regardless of their job or whether they have Covid symptoms.

The testing kits are now available via home delivery or collection, as well as through school and workplace testing and community testing offered by councils.

Wickets aplenty fall on the first day at Chelmsford but runs continue to flow for batsmen around the County Championship.

Durham blow away Essex for just 96 in the first innings of their County Championship game before stuttering to 148-8 at stumps.

Mark Lawrenson takes on Soccer AM star Tubes to make predictions for this weekend's FA Cup semi-final ties and Premier League fixtures.

There are five people hoping to be elected mayor of North Tyneside on 6 May.

Listen to live BBC radio commentary from Saturday's action in the Gallagher Premiership and Championship.

Middlesbrough is “not out of the trees” as lockdown restrictions ease, its director of adult social care has warned

Leaders are anticipating an increase in positive cases after some restrictions were lifted with non-essential shops, gyms and hairdressers reopening this week.

Latest government figures show there were 45 new cases of coronavirus in Middlesbrough in the week up to 7 April, that's down from 80 the previous week. That's a rate of 31.9 rate per 100,000 of population down from 56.7 on the previous week.

Erik Scollay, director of adult social care and health, told councillors on Wednesday the vaccination programme had been “immense” and care staff had faced an unprecedented past year.

However, he warned there was still a battle to be won in the pandemic, particularly given the emergence of new variants.

Downing Street says an aide was asked to check the progress of the deal but not intervene.

The body of Tomasz Dembler, 39, was found by two members of the public in Middlesbrough on Monday.

Two men threw petrol bombs into a police yard damaging two vehicles.

Two vans were damaged when petrol bombs were thrown into the back yard of a police building in North Ormesby.

It happened yesterday at about 21:10 when two men threw the petrol bombs into the yard on Kings Road, Cleveland Police said.

No one was injured but one vehicle was severely damaged by fire and another scorched.

The road was closed while fire crews and police officers investigated.

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