The Journal
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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POOR RATING FOR BEACHES
WATER quality at two Tyneside beaches remains “poor” even as the majority of North East bathing spots are now rated “good” or “excellent” according to the Environment Agency. Water at Cullercoats Bay and at Littlehaven beach in South Shields has...
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NikkiAllan murder: Ex-police officers could face charges
FORMER Northumbria police officers have been told they could face criminal charges over the investigation into schoolgirl Nikki Allan’s murder. The seven-year-old was killed near her home in Sunderland in 1992, but it took more than 30 years for...
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Arena decision is delayed again
ADECISION on the future of a huge arena and conference centre planned for the Gateshead Quayside will not be made until next year. The North East mayor’s office has confirmed that it is yet to conclude a study into whether the stalled riverside...
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Academy chain abandons plans to close schools
PARENTS are celebrating after controversial plans to close two first schools in Northumberland were dropped. Academy chain The Cheviot Learning Trust has confirmed it will not be going ahead with plans to close Prudhoe Castle and Mickley first...
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New footbridge part of vision for riverside revamp
ANEW 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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‘The childrenof the North cannot wait’
NORTHERN mayors have called on Rachel Reeves to abolish the two-child benefit cap and commit to vast railway line upgrades, including the restoration of a mothballed North East route. Ahead of the Budget later this month, mayors including Kim...
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REGION PAYS RESPECT TO FORCES HEROES
> Veterans and dignitaries observe a moment of silence during a Remembrance Sunday service at the war memorial in Sunderland
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School nurseries can help North’s pupils – minister
OPENING more nurseries in primary schools can help bridge the gap between North East pupils and the rest of England, the Education Secretary says. Houghton and Sunderland South MP Bridget Phillipson yesterday opened a new nursery at Battle Hill...
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ALISON’S DOUBLE BONUS
> Playwright Alison Carr has spoken of her extraordinary experience of watching the premiere of her 15-minute short film Doppelgänger, which was made in Newcastle, at the BFI IMAX in London – the UK’s biggest cinema screen. The film, produced by...
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Region getting to work on cutting inactivity levels
THE North East is to help lead efforts to get more people into work after a major review warned that the UK is “sliding into an avoidable crisis” of ill health. Former John Lewis boss Sir Charlie Mayfield’s report found that poor workplace health...
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Air ambulance in plea for funds to secure its future
THE Great North Air Ambulance Service’s future could be threatened unless it can raise £2.5m to pay the deposit on a new helicopter. The charity has now launched an urgent appeal to raise the cash – and unveiled a plan to invest in three new...
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Better buses could bring £1.8bn boost
MORE regular and better integrated North East buses could put an extra 171,000 people within 30 minutes of Newcastle city centre. New research from Centre for Cities has found that promised upgrades to the region’s public transport network could...
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DEFEND YOUR RIGHT TO KNOW.
Plans for licensed premises in your neighbourhood could be hidden from view if new government proposals for secret alcohol licensing notices get the green light.
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Three guilty of killing man shot through window
A GUNMAN who shot a grandfather through the window of his County Durham home and two of his accomplices have been found guilty of murder. Barry Dawson, 60, was fatally shot through a downstairs window of his terraced house on Elm Street, South Moor,...
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Metro junk food ads to be banned
ABAN on junk food adverts on the Tyne and Wear Metro will come into force before Christmas – blocking the promotion of ‘less healthy’ products, including Greggs sausage rolls and pasties. North East mayor Kim McGuinness committed a year ago to stop...
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Lawyers call for inquiry into heart surgery failings
LAWYERS have called for an independent investigation into Newcastle heart surgery failings as “more than a dozen” patients have come forward concerned by treatment they believe may have led to death or health complications. This comes following...
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Sir David backs bid to secure estate as haven for wildlife
SIR David Attenborough has backed a bid to raise £30m to secure the Rothbury Estate in Northumberland. The Wildlife Trusts and Northumberland Wildlife Trust are attempting to complete the purchase of the estate, a 15 square mile tract of former grouse...
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GOING GETS ROUGH ON CAUSEWAY
COUNCIL bosses are exploring options to rebuild the ageing causeway that connects visitors to St Mary’s Island. The 900ft concrete causeway, which links the coast near Brierdene car park in Whitley Bay to St Mary’s Island, is used by more than 100,000...
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City in plea for Lumiere money
ABUSINESS hub and councillors are joining forces in a call to secure cash that will no longer be spent on Durham Lumiere. Following shock news of the cancellation of the much-loved festival beyond this autumn’s event, Durham BID and Durham Parish...
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New calls for city centre vehicle ban
CAMPAIGNERS have called for a revival of contentious plans to ban vehicles from one of Newcastle’s busiest streets. A proposed pedestrianisation of Blackett Street has been a hot topic for years and was a long-held ambition of Newcastle City Council,...
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Casey pledges to get grooming inquiry on track
THE woman who called for the national inquiry into grooming gangs said during a visit to the North East she is “personally committed” to ensuring it goes ahead, amid turmoil surrounding the probe. Four abuse survivors resigned from the inquiry’s...
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Family’s anguish as farm worker son, 31, dies after fly bite
AYOUNG 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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Reform expels councillor after Starmer posts
REFORM UK has confirmed a councillor in Northumberland has been kicked out of the party over alleged “unacceptable” comments he made online. Hirst councillor John Allen becomes the third Reform councillor to be expelled from the party. Reform said...
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Hopes for more stations as line proves a success
THE Northumberland Line has been hailed as a huge success as its latest station opened – with hopes for more new stations. As Blyth Bebside station opened Northern Rail bosses said nobody anticipated that the number of passengers would already be...
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Hopes for 15,000 clean energy jobs in next five years
THE North East is expected to benefit from 15,000 extra clean energy jobs as part of new plans to train up the UK’s industrial workforce. A national training plan has been drawn up to train the next generation of workers amid Government plans for the...
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Sam shocked by Mercury Prize victory on home turf
THERE were wild celebrations in Newcastle on Thursday night as Sam Fender won the Mercury Prize on home turf. Singer-songwriter Sam claimed the 2025 top award for his third album People Watching. The announcement was made at the award ceremony in...
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Workers lose out as plant closure brought forward
STAFF at a Tyneside steel plant say they have been left thousands of pounds out of pocket after the company was placed into administration by its US owners. Union Electric Steel in Gateshead was due to close next year. But its owners have accelerated...
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Reform is ‘run like the Mafia and not ready to govern’
ACOUNTY councillor has claimed Reform UK is “not ready” for power at a national level amid a row over her expulsion from the party. Berwick North councillor Nicole Brooke was kicked out of the party after challenging the leadership of the...
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Doomed flyover demolition date
GATESHEAD’S council leader has admitted to “frustration” over the time it will take to tear down the town’s doomed flyover, after demolition plans stretching well into 2026 were confirmed. The A167 Gateshead Highway flyover has been closed since...
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FENWICK’S WINDOW LAUNCHED
ASPECIAL window was unveiled at Fenwick in Newcastle city centre yesterday to celebrate the city hosting the Mercury Prize for the first time. The prestigious music awards will be held outside London for the first time in its history with a...
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Plan to reform rates raises fears for arena’s future
MAJOR concert venues like Newcastle’s Utilita Arena could be forced to raise prices and even be at risk of closure under Labour’s business rates reforms, industry chiefs have warned. Bosses from some of the country’s biggest venues are pleading for...
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DAZZLING STORY TO BE TOLD
I’M a Luxmuralis fan so when I turn up for the artists’ new show inside Durham Cathedral I am fully expecting to find myself again transfixed by all-enveloping colours and soaring music. I saw their debut light and sound show there in 2022, when...
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Doctor used fake drinks club in bid to commit murder
AFORMER 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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‘Speed up’ opening of new rail stations
NORTH East leaders have urged Network Rail to speed up its usual process to ensure the new stations on the Northumberland Line open as soon as possible. While construction on the three remaining stations is almost at completion stage, the rail network...
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‘There’s something special and unique here’
THE American company building a £10bn datacentre in Northumberland has unveiled a new programme aimed at tackling socio-economic issues in the south east of the county. The announcement from QTS comes as enabling works on the major scheme at Cambois...
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Historic stately home wrecked by massive fire
AMAJOR fire caused massive damage to a historic stately home in County Durham. Smoke could be seen billowing into the sky as a result of the blaze at Shotley Park, near Consett. Shotley Park is a Grade II-listed stately home which dates back to the...
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Family’s shock as plan to shut son’s school is revealed
AWHITLEY Bay family has been left reeling over the possibility of the closure of Monkseaton Middle School. Father-of-two Mark Bowie has said the school helps children who may otherwise have “slipped through the gaps”. Residents, teachers, parents and...
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Jewish leaders’ horror over attack
PEOPLE from Jewish communities in the North East have been left “horrified” after two people were killed outside a synagogue in Manchester. The attack at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall on Thursday took place on Yom Kippur, the...
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