It previously had a guide price of £1.29m but the council says it will not disclose what it paid.

Insp Chris Farish did some digging after spotting the item in a second-hand shop in Durham.

Relive the final day of the 2021 County Championship season as Warwickshire won their first title since 2012.

Skye Hall's family set up a charity to aid research into childhood brain tumours.

They are accused of being part of a criminal network alleged to have smuggled migrants into the UK.

Christopher Carey thought he was communicating with youngsters but was in fact speaking to police.

In the first big survey for two years volunteers reported an increase of sightings of almost 20%.

University students are being urged to get a Covid jab to protect themselves and their friends against the virus.

Tens of thousands of students have been arriving at the region’s universities throughout the week.

At Teesside University a walk-in Covid jab clinic in a bus is parked on campus for students to get their vaccine before their courses begin.

Rebecca Gilling, from Teesside University Students Union, said: "The online learning is not the university life everyone has signed up for so to have everyone back on campus is phenomenal.

"We've had so many students who are in their second year now who haven't had any life on campus and they're so excited to get involved."

Daniel Holland
Local Democracy Reporter

A £7m loan has been given by North East councils to avoid delaying the removal of all toll barriers at the Tyne Tunnel.

Later this year all cash payments and toll booths at the tunnel are being ditched in favour of an automated system, which it's hoped will avoid congestion and cut air pollution.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service has revealed tunnel operator TT2 was planning to push back the scheme due to a huge loss of income caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, until council leaders stepped in with funding to keep the project on track.

The £6.67m loan was signed off in a behind-closed-doors meeting last September.

It will be paid back over the course of TT2’s contract to manage the crossing up to 2037.

Gateshead Council leader Martin Gannon said it would “secure the long term future” of TT2 after toll revenue dropped substantially during the pandemic.

From November, drivers will no longer have to stop to pay at toll plazas on the north side of the tunnel, instead driving straight through.

Tolls will instead be paid using either pre-paid accounts, a pay later website, or through PayPoint tills at retailers, with automatic number plate recognition cameras recording vehicles’ journeys.

Some drivers faced two-hour delays during gridlock last weekend on a "scale not seen" before.

Essex clinch the Division Two title after beating Northants by an innings and 44 runs before lunch on day two at Chelmsford.

The officer placed T-shirts over the body of Philip Tron after the Manchester Arena attack.

Plans include a new factual series for BBC Daytime and a Radio 4 comedy series.

Relive Thursday's County Championship action as Lancashire beat Hampshire to stay in title contention.

Crispin Oliver tells relatives he hopes the serial killer's death will bring a "sense of closure".