The vessels' return to Hartlepool reflects the town's "proud maritime heritage", the council says.

Surge testing is under way in the TS19 postcode area of Stockton after the South African variant of coronavirus was identified in the area.

The case was reported a week ago and has not been linked to international travel, so people without symptoms are being urged to be tested at one of four sites.

Director of Public Health for Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council Sarah Bowman-Abouna said: "The reason we are concerned about this is not because there's any evidence that the South African variant is more dangerous as it were in terms of death and serious health, but because it is more infectious.

"Please come forward for testing, it's really important we try and pick up any further cases of this in the local community."

Details of the four testing sites and how to book a test can be found on Stockton-on-Tees council website, external

Image source, Google

Ida Brown confronted the two men after being alerted by her cat to noises outside.

More than 300 officers raided properties in Reading, Blackburn, Sunderland, Birmingham and London.

Newcastle Council is granted £27.25m to improve the energy efficiency of 32 buildings.

A case of the South African variant has been found in part of Stockton with officials keen to stop its spread.

Bill Small was struck on Sunday while walking in Forest Hall.

Natalie Jenkins has been missing since December 2019 and police believe she has been murdered.

Newcastle winger Matt Ritchie apologises to manager Steve Bruce after the pair were involved in a training ground bust-up.

The relocation of 750 government jobs must not see hundreds of "Treasury tourists" use the North East as a part-time base, a business expert has warned.

The Chancellor's Budget announcement that the Treasury would launch a Northern campus in Darlington was "hugely exciting", Dr Joanna Berry, of Durham University Business School, said.

However, she told the BBC's Breakfast programme the project must bring long-term benefits to the area.

"We absolutely welcome the idea with open arms [but] 750 Treasury tourists coming up for three or four days a week and then going down to the South again would not go down well.

"We will be watching and very much hope to welcome the entire Treasury community up here as part of the North East, not as visitors."

The chancellor had been approached by civic leaders from across the North, with Bradford, Leeds and Newcastle also thought to have been in the running for the move.

Restrictions in place for coronavirus will impact on the counts, Redcar councillors are told.

Middlesbrough boss Neil Warnock signs a contract extension until the end of the 2021-22 season.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has been on Teesside this morning and explained how the area was chosen for freeport status in Wednesday's Budget.

He told the BBC's Breakfast programme he had taken a "range of criteria" into account.

"We thought about an area's unemployment rate and we looked at the deliverability of the bid so you've seen eight regions benefit from freeports.

"We want to get money to as many places where we want to level-up opportunity."

Freeports are usually located around shipping ports, or airports and goods that arrive into from abroad aren't subject to the tax charges, called tariffs, that are normally paid to the government.

You can read more about them by clicking here.

Only 180 of the 1.5 million youth football players in England will make it to the Premier League. So what happens to the rest?

The list of places in England receiving funds is dominated by the north west, Yorkshire and Midlands.

Police raid 18 properties in Reading and seven across Blackburn, Sunderland, Birmingham and London.

Listen to BBC radio commentary as Leicester Tigers host London Irish and Newcastle Falcons travel to Sale in the Gallagher Premiership.

Deese Kasinga’s dreams came true when he signed a two-year deal at Newcastle aged 16. But this soon turned into heartbreak when he faced a huge setback.

Businesses and officials say the move shows the government has "faith and trust" in the town.

Scott Gretton and Rachel Taylor had their first child just days after the start of lockdown last March.