The Chronicle
CHARITY’S MIGHTY EFFORT
THE charity set up when a North Tyneside girl died after being diagnosed with a brain tumour has now supported more than 250 other ill children with craft boxes in her memory. Six-year-old Mercy Cuthbertson died in May 2024. She had an incurable DIPG...
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THERE’S MORE WORK TO DO
THE mother of murdered teenager Holly Newton has praised ongoing work in Northumberland to tackle dangerous relationships between teenagers, but warned the Government needs to take further action. The county’s safeguarding partnership is running a...
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‘HE WAS JUST THERE WITH HIS FRIEND PLAYING’
TRAGIC teenager Aaron Anderson died after building a treehouse with his friend. The 14-year-old passed away in hospital on Boxing Day, four days after he was seriously injured on the County Durham farm where his pal lived. Aaron’s heartbroken family...
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NO END YET TO ICY BLAST
FREEZING conditions are expected to remain for the rest of the week across the North East after fresh falls of snow caused school closures and transport problems yesterday. There was a further fall of snow on Sunday night following significant falls...
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HAPPY LANDING
A £24m deal to build a new landing that will safeguard the future of the Shields Ferry has been signed. Transport bosses have awarded a contract to design and construct a new ferry landing at the North Shields Fish Quay, after years of frustration and...
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FOUR GO TO HOSPITAL AFTER HOUSE BLAZE
FOUR people were taken to hospital after a devastating house fire broke out in Consett. The blaze tore through the roof of the property on Richardson Way in the Berry Edge Estate yesterday morning. Emergency services including Durham and Darlington...
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NEW YEAR, NEW HOPE
ALMOST six years since a swimming pool in Newcastle closed its doors for the last time, it is now hoped that construction of its longawaited replacement is just weeks away. The old Outer West Pool, in West Denton, shut at the outset of the Covid-19...
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‘A CHEEKY CHAPPIE WHO NEVER STOPPED SMILING’
A “CHEEKY chappie who was always smiling” has tragically died just days after a tractor crash at a County Durham farm. Fourteen-year-old Aaron Anderson from Consett suffered lifethreatening injuries when a John Deere Gator overturned at a farm off the...
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THANK YOU, MRS POPPY
AN inspirational 86-year-old woman, who has been dubbed ‘Mrs Poppy’ for her selfless fundraising efforts, was “proud” to find out she has received an MBE. Vera Parnaby, who has been involved with the Royal British Legion for eight decades, has been...
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THEY WERE USING MY SON’S DEATH JUST FOR VIEWS
CRUEL Tik Tokers heaped yet more agony on the family of murdered Bradley Tams by posting videos about his death. It has now been two years since the young dad was stabbed to death in Newcastle in a crime that left his large family with a lifetime of...
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‘WHY DIDN’T THEY CHARGE HIM?’
WORK on the first building of the £10bn datacentre campus at Cambois in Northumberland is set to get under way in the new year. The vast project, delivered by US firm QTS, will cover 5.8 million square feet of space across 10 buildings. The site will...
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NO ESCAPE
A TERRIFIED shop manager locked a shoplifter inside the premises until police arrived. Andrea Graham was working alone at Venus Express in Sheriff Hill, Gateshead, when a man targeted the store. The 55-year-old claims the male tried to steal two bags...
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A NEED FOR LESS SPEED
NEW traffic-slowing measures are set to be installed on a Newcastle street where a 10-year-old girl was tragically killed in a hit-and-run. Newcastle City Council has announced plans to install new restrictions in an effort to stop speeding and...
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FUTURE PROOFING
NEWCASTLE’S biggest music venue is set to be extended and upgraded as part of plans to invest £65m into creating “an arena fit for the future”. The Utilita Arena in Newcastle has played host to thousands of world famous bands, solo performers and...
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VOTE OF CONFIDENCE
A COUNCIL boss has claimed there is now a “healthy” culture at an authority that has faced allegations of bullying and toxicity. Newcastle City Council chief executive Pam Smith told a watchdog committee this week that the Civic Centre has a “very...
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POWER CUT
AN ex-soldier who admitted burning down a North East MP’s constituency office has disputed that he deliberately targeted the politician’s premises, a court heard. Josh Oliver had been living rough near Washington and Gateshead South Labour MP Sharon...
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SCHOOL TRAGEDY
THERE has been a wave of support for the family of a school pupil who died following a “medical emergency” at a school in South Tyneside. A student at St Wilfrid’s RC College in South Shields passed away following the incident at the school yesterday...
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WANTED
THESE 12 suspects are wanted by police during the lead up to Christmas. Northumbria Police say they want to see all 12 people in the cells before Santa Claus arrives on December 25. One suspect is wanted on recall to prison while the others are wanted...
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LATE-NIGHT LOCK-OUT IF YOU TRY TO DRINK AND RIDE
BREATHALYSERS and cognitive tests are being deployed by Newcastle's e-scooter operator this Christmas because of its “party city” reputation. E-scooter firm Neuron has announced that riders now have to pass an app-based reaction test before hiring one...
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ROBBER PUT WIRE AROUND NECK OF 76-YEAR-OLD
A VIOLENT robber attacked a pensioner from behind by putting a wire around his neck before kicking and stamping on him on the ground. The 76-year-old victim was returning home from a night out in Newcastle when he was targeted by Paul Mullen in a...
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BRING IT ON!
A £30 million centre for pioneering cancer research and treatment will be built at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital. City leaders have approved plans for the new Sir Bobby Robson Institute, which it is hoped will become a world-leading facility for...
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WHY DID WE BUILD IT IN THE FIRST PLACE?
AN ABANDONED and crumbling eyesore running through the heart of Tyneside, the Gateshead Flyover has now stood empty for a full year. Today marks exactly 12 months since the A167 Gateshead Highway flyover was suddenly shut down after major safety fears...
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‘I MISS THE LOVE OF MY LIFE’
AFTER Barry Dawson was shot dead through his front window in broad daylight, police faced an urgent race against time to get his armed and dangerous killers off the street. And now, after murderers Sean Reay, Kelvin Lawson and Thomas Sterling were...
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THIEVES STEAL CHARITY CASH
A SMALL charity that relies on donations is appealing to the North East public to help fill a heartbreaking fundraising gap caused following the theft of collection buckets from a Tyneside bus depot. The boxes are used each year on Stagecoach’s buses...
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FAMILY SEEK INQUIRY INTO POISON DEATH OF DAUGHTER
THE family of a Northumberland 22-year-old who died after she ingested poison bought online have questioned why there is no police investigation ongoing into the supplier. Grace Nevens, from Morpeth, died at Cramlington Hospital in November 2024,...
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CLAIRE WAS A BEAUTIFUL SOUL, OUR HEARTS ARE BROKEN
THE family of a woman killed on the A19 at Holystone last Friday have paid tribute to a “beautiful soul” who they will miss “beyond words”. Claire Laybourne died on Saturday, hours after being involved in a collision on the A19 at...
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ROBBER TRIED TO STAB CHARITY SHOP BOSS
A robber who tried to stab the manager of a charity shop for veterans was bravely taken to the floor and disarmed. Despicable Christopher Cook, who described himself as a “fulltime burglar”, caused thousands of pounds of damage to the shop by breaking...
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‘SHE MADE YOU SMILE ON THE HARDEST DAYS’
A “DEEPLY-LOVED” North Tyneside mum has died after living with cancer for nine years. Family and friends have paid tribute to the legacy that Sarah Harrison, 44, will leave and they hope to continue her work with the charity Sarah’s Star. Sarah was...
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FIVE JAILED OVER ARSON ATTACK
FIVE men have been jailed for a total of 25 years after a car was reversed into John Henry Sayers’ property and set on fire. The arsonists had already torched a car belonging to Sayers two days earlier when they went back to “finish the...
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JILTED MAN SET FIRE TO HOME OF EX
A JILTED man carried out a revenge arson attack at the home of his former girlfriend after she ended their week-long relationship. Daniel Lumsden flew off the handle after finding out the victim had spent an evening with her former partner. Newcastle...
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SHOPLIFTERS CAUGHT ON CCTV GO STRAIGHT TO COURT
A DEDICATED Northumbria Police operation has been launched to tackle Newcastle city centre shoplifting - with 60 convictions secured to date. Operation Canvas has been created as a way for businesses to make a direct report with CCTV evidence to the...
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IT’S TWICE AS BAD AS WE THOUGHT
THE number of repairs needed to restore the Tyne Bridge to its former glory has more than doubled, engineers have discovered. Teams working to fully refurbish the North East landmark in time for its 100th anniversary in 2028 say that they have...
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MARKET RETHINK DEMAND
A GROUP of city centre traders have demanded a “rethink” of Newcastle’s Christmas Markets, after accusations that they are hurting neighbouring businesses. The NE1 Hospitality Group, an alliance of food, drink and leisure venues, has claimed the...
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VETERANS’ KITCHEN RANSACKED
CASH and produce has been stolen from a North Tyneside veterans’ kitchen after intruders “ransacked” the charity. Anxious Minds community kitchen has had to close following a break-in overnight that left the building damaged and flooded. Around £150...
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‘EXCESSIVE TACTICS’
NEWCASTLE United have confirmed they will be raising concerns with Uefa, Olympique de Marseille and French police in relation to the ‘unacceptable treatment’ of the club’s supporters by French police at this week’s game at the Stade...
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ESCAPE MECHANISM
ENDING the two-child benefit cap is a “vital step in the right direction” towards ending child poverty in the North East, campaigners say. Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed in her Budget yesterday that the controversial limit will be lifted in full...
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‘HE WAS LIKE A SECOND DAD OR UNCLE’
CHILDREN at a grassroots football club have been left heartbroken following the death of its co-founder. Kelly Scott, 52, set up Newcastle East End FC in Walkergate, Newcastle, with his dad Charlie, 76, in 1995. The pair began 30 years ago with two...
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EXTEND THE FREEZE
A FREEZE on rail fares for the first time in 30 years should be extended to the Tyne and Wear Metro, the North East mayor has urged. The Government announced over the weekend that rail ticket prices will be frozen in Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Budget...
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EIGHT HELD AS ‘ATTACK’ PROBED
EIGHT people have been arrested in connection with an attempted murder investigation in Newcastle as a woman fights for her life in hospital. Emergency services were called to reports of concern for a woman and a man at an address on Durham Street in...
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SORRY
Police and Government apologise as 202-page dossier reveals extent of abuse at detention centre Staff at Medomsley included man now said to be one of the most prolific sex predators in UK history
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NEW TYNE CROSSING PLANNED
A NEW bridge could be built across the River Tyne as part of a huge regeneration project to transform one of the North East’s most prominent patches of derelict land. Eye-catching images have revealed the vision for Newcastle’s Forth Yards riverside...
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METRO FARE RISE THREAT
METRO fare hikes could be needed to plug a £5million deficit, a transport boss has hinted. Councillors have been warned the Tyne and Wear Metro is facing a multi-million pound shortfall that means its services will become “unsustainable” without...
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ORGANISED CRIME GANG TRIO JAILED
THREE men involved in a cocaine conspiracy in the North East as part of an organised crime group have been jailed for a total of 24 years. Gaetano Manco, Ross McMullen and Jason Campbell were brought to justice after the illicit scheme was uncovered...
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ROBUST RESPONSE
NORTH Tyneside Mayor Karen Clark warned that anyone found to be responsible for the shocking scenes that saw Bonfire Night turn Meadow Well into a “war zone” could face action from the council. A child was injured as gangs of yobs hurled fireworks at...
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‘I WANT TO BE ABLE TO GO HOME AND BE SAFE’
A LITTLE girl was left screaming in fear and agony when yobs hurled a firework at her pushchair as her family made their way to a Bonfire Night display. Three-year-old Nevaeh PorterBaggott was lucky to escape serious injury in the senseless attack,...
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Big Dan’s the head boy as United sink Spaniards
NEWCASTLE United fans made their feelings clear towards Eddie Howe after his side sailed to a Champions League victory over Athletic Bilbao. Loud chants of ‘ Eddie Howe’s black and white army’ echoed around St James’ Park throughout the second half to...
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BOARDROOM SHAKE-UP
NEWCASTLE United have confirmed the exit of commercial chief Peter Silverstone after three years in the boardroom at St James’ Park. The arrival of CEO David Hopkinson has led to a 100-day review at the club but Silverstone has opted to leave for...
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FREE VITAMINS
Support your wellbeing this autumn with a free pack of Holland & Barrett tablets - enjoy one pack of either Cranberry Extract, Zinc or Vitamin D, depending on store availability. Each easy-to-take tablet is designed to help support your immune system...
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‘I’M NOT DEAD YET ... MAYBE THEY’LL FIND A CURE’
A 26-year-old man's Urinary Tract Infection symptoms turned out to be terminal prostate cancer. Chandler Heatley went to A&E when he noticed blood in his urine in April and was given antibiotics and drank cranberry juice to treat a UTI. Within a...
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GUILTY
A GUNMAN who shot a grandad through the window of his County Durham home and two of his accomplices have been found guilty of murder. Barry Dawson was fatally shot through a downstairs window of his terraced house on Elm Street, South Moor, Stanley on...
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SO LITTLE TIME LEFT
A TODDLER from Tyneside is understood to be the only person in the world with a rare disease which will take her life. Harleigh Tidd, three, has undergone 38 operations after being born with a condition which causes fluid to leak inside her body. Her...
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LEISURE CENTRE COST SOARS TO £40M
THE cost of building a heavilydelayed new leisure centre in Newcastle has jumped yet again and now stands at an estimated £40m. Flagship plans to open a state-ofthe-art sports complex in West Denton have suffered repeated setbacks since being unveiled...
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TEENAGER LOCKED UP FOR MURDER DIES IN CUSTODY
CONVICTED murderer Jordan Tams has died after being locked up, aged just 18 years old. Tams was one of three teenagers found guilty of the murder of Gary Belfield at Newcastle Crown Court in December, and he passed away on October 18. He was residing...
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‘ACT FAST TO SAVE OUR HIGH STREET’
COUNCIL bosses have been urged to act fast to lift the “doom and gloom” around a struggling North East high street. As the demolition of the closed Gateshead Flyover nears, businesses and residents around the neighbouring Gateshead High Street are...
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ACTION TAKEN OVER MOULD IN FLATS
DANGEROUS and “uninhabitable” council flats in Newcastle plagued by disgusting damp and mould must be repaired urgently, campaigners have pleaded. Residents of a housing block in the city’s east end have demanded action, amid growing concern at the...
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£10 OFF Howe won’t rise to Slot’s bait
The fun is kicking off this half term! We’ve teamed up with Sports Direct to bring you this great offer in store, perfect for stocking up on sport equipment, kits and boots to keep the whole family entertained even as the days get colder. There’s...
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ARRESTS AT SCENE OF SMASH
THREE men were arrested after police swarmed the scene of a crash in South Tyneside. Two vehicles were involved in a collision on Swinburne Street in Jarrow yesterday morning. One of the vehicles overturned and collided with the Little Jems nursery...
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YOUNG FARM WORKER DIED AFTER FLY BITE
A YOUNG farm worker died just weeks after he was bitten by a fly. Andrew Kane’s loved ones are struggling to come to terms with their shock loss after the strong and healthy 31-year-old passed away in hospital. Andrew’s mum, Rachel Kane, said her son...
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MUM: DOC SAID SON’S CANCER WAS SLIPPED DISC
A MAN with autism and his mum spent months fighting for answers after initially being told his incurable cancer was a “slipped disc”. Lewis Scarth, 23, from south east Northumberland, has a rare form of cancer called an epitheloid sarcoma. This...
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CONSTABLE BADLY BURNED WHEN HOT OIL THROWN BY TAXI DRIVER
A VIOLENT taxi driver left a police officer with burns to his face and chest by throwing hot oil at him. Officers had turned up to arrest Mohammed Sarfaraz when he was found to have a smoking frying pan in his hand. When PC Christopher Bain entered...
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LEADER OF DRUG RING JAILED FOR 27 YEARS
THE boss of a heavily armed organised crime group involved in the supply of huge amounts of drugs has been jailed for 27 years. Shaun Monaghan was in charge of a “professional and busy” underworld North East gang who shipped cocaine, heroin,...
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ONE FROM THE HEART
THERE were wild celebrations in Newcastle on Thursday night, when Sam Fender won the Mercury Prize on home turf. Singer-songwriter Sam Fender has won the 2025 Mercury Prize for his third album People Watching. The announcement was made at the award...
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MAM HAD SO MUCH LIFE STILL TO GIVE
TRIBUTES have been paid to a “wonderful” 82-year-old who “still had a lot of life to give” before her life was taken by an uninsured and unlicensed driver. Jean Hindmarch died in hospital four days after being hit by a car in Wrekenton, Gateshead, on...
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LASTING TRIBUTE
A BELOVED Newcastle schoolboy killed in a tragic explosion one year ago will be honoured with a lasting tribute. Seven-year-old Archie York lost his life in the blast that destroyed his family home in Violet Close, Benwell, and devastated a community...
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GUILTY OF GROOMING
FIVE members of a Tyneside grooming gang are facing lengthy prison sentences after they were convicted of a series of sex attacks on underage girls. Codrin Dura, 26, Leonard Paun, 23, Bogdan Gugiuman, 44, Klaudio Aleksiu, 28 and Stefan Ciuraru, 22,...
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COCAINE KINGPIN’S TRUSTED SIDEKICK JAILED
THE trusted sidekick of a North East cocaine Mr Big has joined him behind bars. Harry Monteith was one of Stephen Faetz's loyal lieutenants in a huge plot to flood the region with the Class A drugs. Faetz, of Lansdowne Terrace West, North Shields was...
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‘WHO ARE WE TO STAND IN HIS WAY?’
A 10-YEAR-OLD boy from Blaydon made the brave decision to have potentially life-altering decompression surgery to have part of his skull removed. Lennie Parker was diagnosed with Chiari malformation, after being impacted by the condition since he was...
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‘HE PUT THE GUN UP... HE WAS LOOKING AT ME’
THE son of a man who was allegedly murdered told police how he thought those responsible were aiming for him instead, a court heard. Barry Dawson, 60, was fatally shot through a downstairs window of his terraced house in South Moor, Stanley,County...
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GP USED SPIKED BOOZE IN MURDER ATTEMPT
A FORMER GP who is serving a life sentence for trying to kill his mother’s partner with a fake Covid jab has admitted a previous attempt to murder him with poisoned bottles of alcohol. Thomas Kwan was last year given a minimum term of 31 years for...
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TRIBUTES TO LOVED DAD
A TYNESIDE dad died just months after first seeing the signs of motor neurone disease. Now his wife has spoken out about the horrific condition, but also about the vital hospice care that became so important in his final weeks. Michael Long, 62, who...
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‘SHOT DEAD IN HIS OWN HOME’
A MAN who was allegedly murdered in County Durham was “shot in the chest with a handgun at short range”, a jury has heard. Barry Dawson was fatally shot through a downstairs window of his terraced house on Elm Street, South Moor, Stanley on April 5,...
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141 YEARS
A NORTH East criminal gang has been jailed for a combined 141 years after a plot to import more than £68m worth of cocaine. The National Crime Agency worked with the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU) and Northumbria Police to...
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‘DEAD’ ONE DAY – AND BACK AT WORK THE NEXT!
A GRAINGER Market shopkeeper who stopped breathing for around three minutes after a heart attack has thanked the quick-thinking staff who saved her life. June Jefferson runs Dennis and June’s Sandwich Fayre, which she opened alongside her late husband...
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DRIVER ADMITS CAUSING DEATHS OF BROTHER AND NEPHEW
A driver has admitted causing the deaths of his brother and nephew by careless driving while under the influence of cocaine. Michael Webb was behind the wheel of a Skoda Octavia when he crashed, killing father and son Peter and Ben Webb. Peter, 40,...
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TRAPPED IN MY OWN HOME
TARGETED just for being himself, John Wallace is being terrorised by young yobs who are abusing him over his appearance. The 51-year-old says he has been left feeling like a prisoner in his own home since the hooded teens discovered where he lived...
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