James Bulger's grave was vandalised in a sickening incident and his mum Denise Fergus says it was 'the most devastating thing to happen to our most sacred of places'

Ian Huntley was found in a pool of blood at HMP Frankland in Durham after being attacked and a prison insider claims two changes made him more accessible to other inmates

Lynda Richards reportedly made a secret visit to see her son Ian Huntley in a North East hospital

Bernd Grossmann, from Hamburg, Germany, said he did not realise he had to pay and would not have been able to pay on his wife's mobile phone

Tougher penalties are being looked at

These are the names and faces of criminals who have targeted vulnerable and elderly victims

The North East has England's highest rate of confirmed norovirus cases - and one area has a large number of cases

The recalls are issued to protect the public when they do their weekly shop

Joseph Gray found himself back in court not long after getting out of prison

Thousands of UK drivers could be unknowingly risking fines and invalidating their insurance, says eye surgeon Nadeem Ali

A selection of planning applications submitted in Northumberland are being considered, including the restoration of a historic town centre site in Hexham

Residents of these North East areas who play the national game have won a thousand pound prize per ticket

Ayton Castle in Berwickshire is regarded as one of the finest baronial mansions and dates back to the 19th century

Linking Grey Street and Pilgrim Street, Shakespeare Street was home to a now-vanished public loo

Steven Taylor admitted outraging public decency and exposure

The leader of the council has previously voiced strong opposition to any merger

Motorists are urged to sign up to drivers and vehicles account

Denise Fergus has vowed to track down whoever desecrated her son's resting place after cherubs on James Bulger's headstone were smashed just weeks before his birthday

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to make her spring statement next week and pressure is growing over tax threshold freezes

The winning National Lottery numbers for tonight's EuroMillions and Thunderball draws

Lee Regan turned up at the teenager's coming of age party with a knife saying he'd 'bashed' her mother and forced guests to flee in fear

Bugsy hasn't had the best start in life after being found as a stray living in a garden and waiting over 220 days to find a home

With more than one in four councils not expecting to make the government target for food waste collection starts, North East councils have explained their food waste delivery plans.

New roads and footpaths must be up to a certain standard before councils will take them on

NHS staff across the North East have now been awarded thousands in backpay