A testing site which will give symptomless key workers a Covid result within 30 minutes will open in Newcastle on Monday.
The site, at Westgate College, is the second in the city to offer lateral flow tests along with one at the Civic Centre.
Both are open for key workers who cannot work from home.
The Westgate College site is open between 10:00 and 18:00, Monday to Friday.
Quote Message: This type of testing will help prevent outbreaks by acting quickly to deny the virus the opportunity to spread throughout key workforces, and I would urge those eligible to access rapid testing at whichever site is most convenient.” from Councillor Irim Ali Newcastle City Council
This type of testing will help prevent outbreaks by acting quickly to deny the virus the opportunity to spread throughout key workforces, and I would urge those eligible to access rapid testing at whichever site is most convenient.”
Newcastle City CouncilCopyright: Newcastle City Council
Dazed swan returned to river after crash landing
A confused swan has been helped back to the River Tees after he crash-landed in a Covid test centre car park in Darlington.
Staff working at the testing site at Darlington Football Club's training ground in Grange Road called the RSPCA after seeing the bird looking confused and struggling to stand.
RSPCACopyright: RSPCA
The testing centre car park was closed for 10 minutes while the swan was caught and checked over.
RSPCA inspector Krissy Raine said: “We think this swan confused the car park for a lake and crash-landed on the hard surface and couldn’t take off again.
“I checked him over and, as he wasn’t injured, transported him to the River Tees nearby and released him out with a bevy of other swans.
"It was lovely to see him swimming off with the other birds and to know that the staff at the testing site could continue their important work."
Uncertainty continues to surround an opening date for the North East’s Lighthouse Laboratory Covid testing site.
Local health chiefs are still awaiting government approval to open the facility, which has been built at the Baltic Park industrial estate in Gateshead.
The hub, which will create 1,100 jobs, was due to open in December and Newcastle's public health director Eugene Milne said it was “ready to go” at the end of January.
It was hoped the Lighthouse Lab would open earlier this month, but bosses say they still need “some final information” from the government before it becomes operational.
Once at full capacity, it should be able to process up to 80,000 Covid tests per day.
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Quote Message: We are waiting for some final information from the Department of Health and Social Care before the first Covid test samples can be processed.” from Martin Wilson Integrated Covid Hub North East
We are waiting for some final information from the Department of Health and Social Care before the first Covid test samples can be processed.”
Sunderland fans help charities by selling Wembley 'tickets'
Sunderland supporters might not be going to Wembley for the EFL Cup final next month due to Covid lockdown restrictions, but they're still buying tickets online.
Fans have come up with a plan to buy commemorative tickets for the game against Tranmere on Sunday 14 March which will be played behind closed doors.
Sunderland supporter Peter Richardson, who came up with the idea, said: "I collect all my ticket stubs and I thought wouldn't it be amazing if the club... sold tickets even though we couldn't go and then the money raised went to charity.
"I've been told the design is pretty much finished and they're ready to be printed, they are going to look like a traditional Wembley ticket."
Money raised will go to charity's including Sunderland foodbank, Mind and the club's Beacon of Light.
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Darlington Arena to become vaccination centre
A Covid-19 vaccination centre will open in Darlington next week.
It means more people can be given the jab as quickly as possible at the Darlington Arena site from Monday 1 March.
It's the fourth large vaccination centre in the North East, joining Newcastle's Centre for Life, Sunderland's Nightingale hospital and the Arnison Centre in Durham.
Such large centres can see up to 1,000 people a day, running 12 hours a day and for 7 days a week.
People will be invited to attend the centre by NHS England's national booking service, or they can wait until they receive an invitation from their own GP.
GoogleCopyright: Google
Quote Message: Opening up the fourth vaccination centre in the region helps us to reach even more people as the programme continues to expand, giving even more people the opportunity to have their vaccine.” from Professor Neil Watson NHS Covid Vaccination Programme
Opening up the fourth vaccination centre in the region helps us to reach even more people as the programme continues to expand, giving even more people the opportunity to have their vaccine.”
Gym shut down after repeated lockdown breaches
A judge has ordered a gym to close for three months after its owners repeatedly breached lockdown regulations.
Durham County Council says Ellwoods Gym and Fitness Centre in Horden endangered the life, health and comfort of the public by staying open.
It was served with a prohibition notice on 13 January and when council and police officers returned two weeks later and on 10 February there was evidence the notice had been breached.
In total, police handed out more than 30 Fixed Penalty Notices to people using the gym
and one man was arrested for obstructing the police.
The council says it found people had been travelling from around the region to attend the gym.
Karl Ellwood, of Park Terrace in Horden, was also ordered to pay court costs of £1,819.
GoogleCopyright: Google
Quote Message: We felt that we had no other option but to take steps to formally close the premises due to the level of crime and nuisance that was taking place there on a regular basis.
We felt that we had no other option but to take steps to formally close the premises due to the level of crime and nuisance that was taking place there on a regular basis.
Quote Message: Failing to follow the regulations amplifies the risk of infection by allowing large numbers of people to gather indoors, meaning the virus can easily spread from one gym-goer to another through use of the equipment and the increased likelihood of being in close proximity." from Joanne Waller Durham County Council
Failing to follow the regulations amplifies the risk of infection by allowing large numbers of people to gather indoors, meaning the virus can easily spread from one gym-goer to another through use of the equipment and the increased likelihood of being in close proximity."
Family of dead man say they'll 'miss him terribly'
The family of a Stockton man who died at the weekend have paid tribute to him, saying he was a "very popular and well-known person".
Firefighters in Tyne and Wear have shaved vital seconds off the time it takes them to reach serious incidents by getting ready before a call-out.
A pre-alert system was introduced for responders almost two years ago to give crews a heads up of suspected blazes.
Firefighters are alerted as soon as a 999 call is answered.
Under national response standards, crews are supposed to be dispatched within a minute of being notified of the most serious incidents and arrive six minutes later.
The average response time to "primary fires" among English fire brigades in 2019-20 was eight minutes and 43 seconds, making the Tyne and Wear Fire service the fastest in the country, with an average response time of six minutes 29 seconds.
BBCCopyright: BBC
Quote Message: If a 999 call comes in from an area, firefighters are being alerted to that while the caller is still on the call, so they’re in the pre-alert phase ready to deploy." from Phil Clark TWFRS
If a 999 call comes in from an area, firefighters are being alerted to that while the caller is still on the call, so they’re in the pre-alert phase ready to deploy."
Cannabis with a street value of £130,000 seized
Cleveland Police has uncovered a cannabis farm at a house in Billingham.
Neighbourhood officers seized the plants, with a street value of £130,000, from a house on Gainford Road yesterday.
A 30-year-old man has been charged with producing class B drugs.
The boss of a Teesside social club which started selling pizzas and parmos when lockdown restrictions closed the bar says his takeaway business could turn over £500,000 this year.
John Taylor started Eston Labour Grub, an offshoot of Eston Labour Club, last October by converting a storeroom and bin store into a takeaway with its own shop front and customer waiting area.
Last month it was retrospectively granted permission for change of use by Redcar and Cleveland Council.
A report by council planning officers said the takeaway use had been operating for a number of months without any complaints.
BBCCopyright: BBC
Quote Message: We are in a fortunate position in that we had already earmarked to spend the refurbishment money and have done the takeaway, and the money from that ensures the club is safeguarded so we can pay the bills and any associated costs while we are closed." from John Taylor Eston Labour Grub
We are in a fortunate position in that we had already earmarked to spend the refurbishment money and have done the takeaway, and the money from that ensures the club is safeguarded so we can pay the bills and any associated costs while we are closed."
Live Reporting
All times stated are UK
Newcastle City CouncilCopyright: Newcastle City Council 
RSPCACopyright: RSPCA 
RSPCACopyright: RSPCA 
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images 
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images 
GoogleCopyright: Google 
GoogleCopyright: Google 
Cleveland PoliceCopyright: Cleveland Police -
Three men aged 50, 40 and 29 have been charged with Mr Chawla's murder and are due before Teesside Magistrates' Court.
Cleveland PoliceCopyright: Cleveland Police 
BBCCopyright: BBC 
Cleveland PoliceCopyright: Cleveland Police 
BBCCopyright: BBC 
BBCCopyright: BBC
Latest Post'Less talk, more points' - Lascelles laments Newcastle draw
By Alex Bysouth
BBC Sport
Captain Jamaal Lascelles says Newcastle "need to stop talking and put points on the board" after a draw against Wolves.
Read moreNewcastle beat Quins in late thriller
Brett Connon's late penalty saw Newcastle win a thriller against Harlequins in their first Premiership match for almost three weeks.
Read moreSecond rapid testing site opens next week
A testing site which will give symptomless key workers a Covid result within 30 minutes will open in Newcastle on Monday.
The site, at Westgate College, is the second in the city to offer lateral flow tests along with one at the Civic Centre.
Both are open for key workers who cannot work from home.
The Westgate College site is open between 10:00 and 18:00, Monday to Friday.
Dazed swan returned to river after crash landing
A confused swan has been helped back to the River Tees after he crash-landed in a Covid test centre car park in Darlington.
Staff working at the testing site at Darlington Football Club's training ground in Grange Road called the RSPCA after seeing the bird looking confused and struggling to stand.
The testing centre car park was closed for 10 minutes while the swan was caught and checked over.
RSPCA inspector Krissy Raine said: “We think this swan confused the car park for a lake and crash-landed on the hard surface and couldn’t take off again.
“I checked him over and, as he wasn’t injured, transported him to the River Tees nearby and released him out with a bevy of other swans.
"It was lovely to see him swimming off with the other birds and to know that the staff at the testing site could continue their important work."
Crack den 'so busy it had two queues' shut down
Police raided the house in Middlesbrough after lines of waiting drug users were seen outside.
Read moreStill no opening date for Gateshead testing site
Daniel Holland
Local Democracy Reporter
Uncertainty continues to surround an opening date for the North East’s Lighthouse Laboratory Covid testing site.
Local health chiefs are still awaiting government approval to open the facility, which has been built at the Baltic Park industrial estate in Gateshead.
The hub, which will create 1,100 jobs, was due to open in December and Newcastle's public health director Eugene Milne said it was “ready to go” at the end of January.
It was hoped the Lighthouse Lab would open earlier this month, but bosses say they still need “some final information” from the government before it becomes operational.
Once at full capacity, it should be able to process up to 80,000 Covid tests per day.
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Catch upSunderland fans help charities by selling Wembley 'tickets'
Sunderland supporters might not be going to Wembley for the EFL Cup final next month due to Covid lockdown restrictions, but they're still buying tickets online.
Fans have come up with a plan to buy commemorative tickets for the game against Tranmere on Sunday 14 March which will be played behind closed doors.
Sunderland supporter Peter Richardson, who came up with the idea, said: "I collect all my ticket stubs and I thought wouldn't it be amazing if the club... sold tickets even though we couldn't go and then the money raised went to charity.
"I've been told the design is pretty much finished and they're ready to be printed, they are going to look like a traditional Wembley ticket."
Money raised will go to charity's including Sunderland foodbank, Mind and the club's Beacon of Light.
Darlington Arena to become vaccination centre
A Covid-19 vaccination centre will open in Darlington next week.
It means more people can be given the jab as quickly as possible at the Darlington Arena site from Monday 1 March.
It's the fourth large vaccination centre in the North East, joining Newcastle's Centre for Life, Sunderland's Nightingale hospital and the Arnison Centre in Durham.
Such large centres can see up to 1,000 people a day, running 12 hours a day and for 7 days a week.
People will be invited to attend the centre by NHS England's national booking service, or they can wait until they receive an invitation from their own GP.
Gym shut down after repeated lockdown breaches
A judge has ordered a gym to close for three months after its owners repeatedly breached lockdown regulations.
Durham County Council says Ellwoods Gym and Fitness Centre in Horden endangered the life, health and comfort of the public by staying open.
It was served with a prohibition notice on 13 January and when council and police officers returned two weeks later and on 10 February there was evidence the notice had been breached.
In total, police handed out more than 30 Fixed Penalty Notices to people using the gym and one man was arrested for obstructing the police.
The council says it found people had been travelling from around the region to attend the gym.
Karl Ellwood, of Park Terrace in Horden, was also ordered to pay court costs of £1,819.
Family of dead man say they'll 'miss him terribly'
The family of a Stockton man who died at the weekend have paid tribute to him, saying he was a "very popular and well-known person".
Adam Chawla suffered "significant injuries" at a home on Eleanor Place in Stockton on Friday 19 April. He died in hospital on Sunday.
In a statement his family said: “He was a kind-natured person and when he was younger he used to help elderly neighbours with shopping and errands.
“He also used to work in a local restaurant which he really enjoyed.
“Adam comes from a large and very loving family, including his two children aged eight and three and we will all miss him terribly."
Crossbow attack on bird nesting boxes
Police have discovered crossbow bolts in nesting boxes at a country park in Hartlepool.
Officers were called to Summerhill country park at the weekend after reports of people acting suspiciously.
They found the bolts lodged into owl nesting boxes.
It's not know if any birds were in the boxes when they were targeted.
Tyne and Wear firefighters get ready while 999 caller is on line
Local Democracy Reporting Service
James Harrison
Firefighters in Tyne and Wear have shaved vital seconds off the time it takes them to reach serious incidents by getting ready before a call-out.
A pre-alert system was introduced for responders almost two years ago to give crews a heads up of suspected blazes.
Firefighters are alerted as soon as a 999 call is answered.
Under national response standards, crews are supposed to be dispatched within a minute of being notified of the most serious incidents and arrive six minutes later.
The average response time to "primary fires" among English fire brigades in 2019-20 was eight minutes and 43 seconds, making the Tyne and Wear Fire service the fastest in the country, with an average response time of six minutes 29 seconds.
Cannabis with a street value of £130,000 seized
Cleveland Police has uncovered a cannabis farm at a house in Billingham.
Neighbourhood officers seized the plants, with a street value of £130,000, from a house on Gainford Road yesterday.
A 30-year-old man has been charged with producing class B drugs.
Teesside social club grows new business
Local Democracy Reporting Service
Stuart Arnold
The boss of a Teesside social club which started selling pizzas and parmos when lockdown restrictions closed the bar says his takeaway business could turn over £500,000 this year.
John Taylor started Eston Labour Grub, an offshoot of Eston Labour Club, last October by converting a storeroom and bin store into a takeaway with its own shop front and customer waiting area.
Last month it was retrospectively granted permission for change of use by Redcar and Cleveland Council.
A report by council planning officers said the takeaway use had been operating for a number of months without any complaints.