The Journal
Hundreds of jobs at risk in North East plant closure
HUNDREDS of redundancies could be made at a North East caravan manufacturer which is set to cease production. Elddis – part of the Erwin Hymer Group – has been manufacturing RVs for around 60 years at Consett in County Durham. But there has been a...
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Anger as bus deal scrapped on route to coast
BUS users have slammed the collapse of a ticket agreement between rival companies on one of Tyneside’s busiest routes. At present, passengers using services on the Coast Road between Newcastle and North Tyneside are able to travel on any of Arriva’s...
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Scramble to pull Britons out of danger
THE UK has mounted an unprecedented operation to support hundreds of thousands of British nationals in the Gulf as Iranian missile strikes continue to rock the region. Officials at the Foreign Office are understood to be working on plans for potential...
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Merger revealed at private schools
TWO of the North East’s best known private schools are to come together at what has been described as a “challenging” time for independent education. Westfield School in Gosforth is to join the newly-formed RGS Newcastle Group of Schools and will...
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‘Utterly focused on North East’
KEIR Starmer wants to see exam results in the North East “dramatically” improved under a new bid to improve standards. The Prime Minister was at a school in Newcastle yesterday after the announcement of the Mission North East project earlier this...
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Region ranks at the bottom for low pay
THE North East has become the low pay capital of the UK, new research suggests, with one in five jobs paying lower than the real living wage. Analysis of official data by the Living Wage Foundation – which campaigns for people to be paid higher than...
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Farm ordered to dismantle cover of new play area
ANORTHUMBERLAND farm popular with families from all over the North East has been served with an enforcement notice which it says “threatens the core of its mission” to provide an inclusive environment for all. Whitehouse Farm, near Morpeth, has been...
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No retrial for terror charge teenager
ATEENAGER from Northumberland will not face a retrial after a jury failed to reach a verdict on whether he was planning a terror attack. The 16-year-old boy, who cannot be identified due to his age, was found guilty at Leeds Crown Court on February 5...
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HUGE CROWD FOR CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATION
APACKED crowd witnessed stunning Chinese New Year celebrations in Newcastle city centre yesterday. The Year of the Horse was welcomed as huge crowds gathered to be a part of the colourful and entertaining festivities. The Lunar New Year celebrations...
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LAMB-TASTIC!
> Two-year-old Milo Hewison-Mathews with Skye Hogarth from Whitehouse Farm, Northumberland and one of the new arrivals as the lambing season begins.
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‘LAW MUST TAKE ITS COURSE,’ SAYS KING AFTER ANDREW’S ARREST
> The then Prince Andrew pictured in Sunderland in 2017 as part of his pitch@palace initiative. He was yesterday arrested at his home on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk.
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SPRING’S JUST AROUND THE CORNER – HONEST!
AHISTORIC hall on the Northumberland coast has reopened its gates as its gardens are covered in a carpet of snowdrops. Howick Hall is the ancestral home of Earl Grey, the former Prime Minister whose statue stands at the top of Newcastle’s famous...
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‘Serious failings’ in county’s social housing – report
THE social housing system in Northumberland requires “fundamental change” after an inspection identified a number of “very serious failings”. The Regulator of Social Housing published a highly critical report yesterday, with bosses branding the...
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Fashion store is closed after raid
A JESMOND shop whose bosses say it has been the victim of a ram raid will be closed until further notice. Police and forensics officers have been on Osborne Road after a vehicle crashed into fashion store Jules B in the early hours of yesterday. The...
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Starmer urged to deliver for the regions
THE head of the trade union movement has called on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to deliver for regions such as the North East if he wants to survive the Peter Mandelson scandal. The PM is fighting for his survival after criticism of his decision to...
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North in bid to host Olympics
NORTHERN leaders led by North East mayor Kim McGuinness want the North to host the Olympics. A group of 12 mayors and council leaders – from all four main political parties – have written to the Government setting out how the Olympics could be staged...
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Men conned out of thousands in romance fraud
A WOMAN from Northumberland who conned men into spending thousands of pounds to fund her lavish lifestyle now faces the prospect of jail. Model Gemma Kingsley, 50, has pleaded guilty to over a dozen counts of theft and fraud, after she created a web...
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‘Please use some common sense’
ASAFETY warning has been issued after a person was spotted venturing out on a Northumberland pier despite rough weather conditions. Pictures taken from the Port of Berwick Facebook page – captioned, “When the weather is bad, please act responsibly...
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Campaigners hail benefit cap move
NORTH East campaigners have welcomed the “beginning of the end of one of the worst policies imposed on children in modern times”, after a move to scrap the two-child benefit cap cleared its first hurdle in Parliament. MPs voted on Tuesday in support...
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Backlash throws car park charge plan into reverse
PROPOSALS to introduce some new parking charges in Whitley Bay have been scrapped, local councillors say. Whitley Bay’s Labour councillors have said via social media platform Facebook that local authority proposals to charge for the Playhouse car park...
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CLOSED: RESTAURANT THAT HAD ONE OF THE BEST VIEWS IN BRITAIN
THE North East’s dining scene is mourning a huge loss after an award-winning restaurant announced its closure. SIX Restaurant, the top-floor eatery at Baltic centre for contemporary art, has closed its doors for good after serving up top-class food...
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‘It’s not enough money’
COUNCIL tax payers in Northumberland can expect their bills to rise while more than £18.5m will be cut from service areas. Bosses at the Conservative-controlled administration have said the Government’s financial settlement was even lower than its...
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Centrepiece for key site could be built next year
DETAILS of a landmark office block in Newcastle city centre are to be made public next week with hopes that work on the scheme will start next year. Developers Igloo will be holding a consultation on plans for the 10-storey One Founders Place scheme...
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Water bills set to rise by 6%
NORTHUMBRIAN Water customers are set to see bills rise by around 6% – but the company has announced major improvements. It revealed its biggest package of upgrades in its history, aiming to protect the environment and strengthen water and sewerage...
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Hotel and restaurant owners furious over Reeves’ support snub
NORTH East restaurants, hotels and cafes are at risk of becoming “unsustainable” after being excluded from financial support from the Government, local industry leaders fear. Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced that pubs and live music venues will...
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Rain, snow and blow as storm strikes
ANEW weather warning has been issued for the North East after Storm Chandra struck the region yesterday. Heavy rain, snow and strong winds caused problems across the North East, and the Environment Agency issued a series of flood alerts. Coastal...
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CANDLES ARE LIT FOR A SPECIAL DAY
> The Lord Mayor of Newcastle, Coun Henry Gallagher, lights a candle at an event at the Civic Centre ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day today.
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BLACK OR WHITE ... OR MAYBE PINK?
Entrepreneur Jake Rusby quit his career in public relations to sell coffee from a “pink pod” stationed outside a
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Worries grow as jobless total hits a four-year high
UNEMPLOYMENT has risen sharply in the North East to reach its highest level in more than four years, new figures show. The figures from the Office for National Statistics show that the joblessness rate in the North East rose sharply to stand at 6.2%,...
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DRESSED FOR DINNER?
> Young entrepreneurs Scott Whitehead and Will Grigg have adapted a Japanese concept for shops that mix food and fashion. They have opened a store in Jesmond,
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UNITED PLAY’S AWAY WIN
> From left, Erin Mullen, Becky Clayburn, Dean Logan, Jack Robertson, Chelsea Halfpenny and Bill Fellows bow at the curtain call during the press night performance of “Gerry & Sewell” at The Aldwych Theatre on Thursday.
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We can get there first, says Mayor
NORTH East mayor Kim McGuinness wants the region to be the first to feel the benefits of a major Government pledge to improve rail services in the North. Ms McGuinness joined mayors and council leaders from around the North in Leeds yesterday as...
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HOPE AFTER A LOSS SO MANY OF US SHARED
> Occupational therapist Cath Darling, who has written a book inspired by the loss of the Sycamore Gap tree in Northumberland, was awarded one of its saplings, which will be planted in North Tyneside next month.
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Robber who blew up cash machine jailed for 8 years
ACONVICTED bank robber used explosives to blow up a cash machine in a Northumberland village. Kristopher Follos, from Morpeth, packed the ATM at Powburn with an improvised explosive device (IED) to try to steal thousands of pounds. Despite causing...
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Murdered teen’s mum urges more action on abuse
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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Huge increase in demand for school specialist support
THE number of Newcastle children needing support with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) has sky-rocketed since 2017, council figures show. As of December 2025, there were 3,206 children and young people in the city with an education,...
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Brothers right at home as icy blast goes on
THREE brothers hope they have “inspired the next generation of igloo builders” with an icy creation. Jakob Adams, 19, says that around seven people can fit in the igloo he and brothers Isaac, 17, and Eli, 15, made over the weekend on the field by...
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Late goals boost United and Sunderland
> Left, Bruno Guimaraes breaks the deadlock in the 71st minute of Newcastle United’s victory over Crystal Palace at St James’ Park yesterday. Right, Sunderland’s Brian Brobbey celebrates after netting his side’s equaliser at Tottenham Hotspur with 10...
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Plans are revealed for new Tyneside factory
PLANS for a major new factory in the East End of Newcastle have emerged. Engineering group British Engines has lodged proposals to develop a derelict plot on the Parsons Works site in Byker.
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POINT MADE... BLACK CATS HOLD CITY AT BAY
SUNDERLAND 0 MANCHESTER CITY 0 SUNDERLAND last night went toe to toe with Manchester City – and more than matched them all the way. The Black Cats went to the Etihad Stadium last month and lost 3-0, but the return game at the Stadium of Light was a...
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LIGHTING UP THE SKIES FOR 2026
FAMILIES watched as fireworks lit up the Newcastle Quayside on New Year’s Eve. Crowds of people gathered along the banks of the River Tyne for the first of two fireworks displays to herald the end of 2025 and welcome in 2026 to the city. The display...
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Appeal launched over controversial solar farm project
AN APPEAL has been lodged seeking to overturn a decision to block plans for a vast solar farm in the Northumberland countryside. An application to erect more than 90,000 solar panels near Whittonstall was refused planning permission in August. The...
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Pensioners’ pride in New Year honours
A92-YEAR-OLD Post Office campaigner and an 86-year-old poppy seller led the way as dozens of people from the North East featured in the New Year’s Honours List. County Durham pensioner Betty Brown, thought to be the oldest victim of the Post Office...
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Motorists in North East pay £2m in bus lane penalties
THE North East’s seven local authorities have generated at least £2.1m this year through bus lane penalties. Through Freedom of Information Requests, it has been revealed that millions have been raised through issuing bus lane fines. There were more...
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Breaking ground is close for huge data centre site
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 sq ft of space across 10 buildings. The site will be...
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PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR LIKE YOU DON’T CARE
ATYNESIDE man had an unusual start to Christmas Day as he braved the sea on a mission to raise money for a charity close to his heart. Dan Wales-Hart, 33, who lives in Tynemouth, has taken on a challenge to set foot in the sea a dozen times throughout...
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Call to boost rural policing resources after thefts spike
ALEADING Northumberland councillor has called on Northumbria Police to commit more resources to rural areas following a spike in quadbike thefts. New figures from rural insurer NFU Mutual show thefts of the “valuable vehicles” have more than doubled...
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Plans to upgrade arena revealed
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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Flu cases on the rise with peak still ahead
THE number of people hospitalised with flu has continued to rise in the North East, though the spread of illness has been less than feared in the past week. NHS data shows there was an average of 197 patients a day in North East hospitals with flu...
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Spanish firm purchases airport stake
PART of the ownership of Newcastle Airport has been sold to a Spanish firm in a multimillion-pound deal. InfraBridge, which had owned a 49% stake in the airport, has sold just over half of that stake to Aena Internacional, the operator of most...
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Artist pulls out of fire station plans
SIR Antony Gormley has confirmed he will not be taking plans forward to convert Hexham’s old fire station into a storage facility and gallery. It comes after the Conservativeled administration at Northumberland County Council agreed to press ahead...
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Plane is forced to land in field by A1
APILOT has told of how he was forced to land in a field just off the A1 in Northumberland yesterday. The incident took place at Eshott just before 9am. Pilot Peter Brooks was conducting a flying lesson with three passengers in the plane, but no one was...
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A LONELY PLACE IN FRONT OF 47,000 PEOPLE
VICTORIOUS Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris turned his attention to next Saturday’s Premier League trip to Brighton within minutes of steering the club to derby victory over Newcastle. Yesterday’s 1-0 win over the Magpies at the Stadium of Light extended...
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Minister insistent Labour will back flyover demolition
ASENIOR Labour minister insists the Government will “do right by the people of Gateshead”, as the wait goes on for the demolition of the town’s doomed flyover. Twelve months on from the discovery of serious safety concerns that sparked the emergency...
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Funding changes will bring county £8m more in cuts
ANORTH East council has warned that it will need to make £8m worth of extra cuts next year after a Government funding shake-up. Ministers announced significant reforms to council funding last month, aimed at diverting more money to deprived parts of...
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Fraudsters fleeced £1.5m from banks and Covid scheme
ACONMAN who fleeced banks and a Covid loans scheme out of £1.5m has been jailed for more than 17 years. And his accomplice, who is on the run, has been handed a 20-year jail term in his absence. Through ‘shell’ companies, Sundeep Chahal operated a...
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Family calls for probe 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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Calls for quicker progress on safety of bridge
COUNCILLORS have called for rapid progress to deal with crumbling concrete on the Redheugh Bridge, amid ongoing concerns about its safety. Just days after the closure of the Gateshead Flyover 12 months ago, it emerged that council bosses also held...
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Miliband praises North pioneers of energy revolution
ENERGY secretary Ed Miliband has hailed the North East’s role in kickstarting an energy revolution, 25 years since the UK’s first turbines were erected off the coast of Northumberland. Since the launch of the first turbines at Blyth in December 2000,...
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The NHS saved my life – now I can start to repay the debt
ANORTH East man has become the first person in the world to sign up to a new study which might help treat a chronic lung disease that hits many people in our region. Newcastle hospital patient James Hammill, 76, signed up after the NHS saved his life...
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Government sets out strategy to cut child poverty
MORE accessible childcare and an end to families being stuck in bed and breakfasts beyond the legal limit are among the promises made as the Government unveiled its child poverty strategy. The plan – long-awaited by campaigners – comes amid a record...
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PM hits out after Tories jeer North poverty question
PRIME Minister Sir Keir Starmer has attacked Conservative MPs after they jeered at a question about the impacts of poverty and inequality in the North East. Sir Keir was responding to a question posed by Blyth and Ashington MP Ian Lavery at Prime...
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Centre for brain research coming to city
THE UK’s first centre for research into pioneering brain technology will be in Newcastle. The new National Centre for Neurotechnology and Neurorestoration is to be hosted by the city’s NHS hospitals trust and Newcastle University. It follows news that...
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Parents say pause is not enough to save their school
PARENTS in Whitley Bay say they are still living in “uncertainty” despite a pause on proposals to shut schools. Assurances are being sought that if becoming an academy does not work, North Tyneside Council would find other solutions for Langley First...
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Former magistrate guilty of causing horror road crash
AFORMER magistrate whose dangerous driving left a woman with life-changing injuries in a head-on smash is believed to have dozed off at the wheel. Jacquelin Curtis (pictured) was driving in Northumberland when she veered on to the wrong side of the...
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Task force aims to revive North East high streets
ANEW task force is promising ‘radical’ changes to revive ‘fading’ North East high streets. A high streets commission, launched by North East mayor Kim McGuinness, held its inaugural meeting in South Shields yesterday as communities across the region...
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