North East news RECAP: Benwell fire, breaking news, weather, traffic and travel

Here’s the best of today’s stories:

1. See gunman pointing rifle at his ex in Blyth before aiming at six-year-old child in car
2. Aldi wants to open 17 new stores in the North East - here’s a full list of where
3. Watch footage of illegal drag races in scenes like The Fast and the Furious - but with Vauxhall Corsas on a North East industrial estate
4. Inside Newcastle’s hidden cocktail bar the owners try and keep SECRET
5. First footage from the scene of the large fire in Benwell

Burst pipe in County Durham

A burst pipe underneath a former County Durham railway bridge sent water shooting up in the air.

Residents in Ebchester heading along Derwent Walk had to change direction on Saturday morning after a water main burst.

Video footage captured the burst pipe sending water shooting up and hitting the bridge that crosses the old railway line next to The Derwent Walk Inn.

See footage here

Woman cut free in Norton crash

A woman had to be cut free from her car after it overturned in a crash in Norton .

It is thought the vehicle hit other cars on Hallifield Street before landing on its side.

The accident was reported to the emergency services at about 10.40am on Sunday and police, paramedics and the fire brigade attended.

A spokeswoman for Cleveland Fire Brigade said two crews from Stockton Fire Station were sent out following the report of a vehicle on its side, and a woman trapped inside.

“Extrications took place and she was handed over to the paramedics,” she said.

Read full story here

Tonight's weather forecast

Temperatures could drop to below freezing tonight.

The Met Office says temperatures could drop to -1C overnight, meaning there could be frost first thing.

Sunday is expected to be dry with hazy sunshine during the morning, this will thicken into cloud and bring some patchy rain.

The maximum temperature will be 13C.

Aldi plans to open new North East stores

Popular supermarket Aldi plans to open 130 sites over the next two years - and has earmarked 17 new sites in the North East.

The German grocer hope to create 5,000 new jobs in the UK through their expansion plan, which is part of a move towards a previous target of 1,000 stores by 2022.

The target sites include locations throughout the North East, from the heart of Newcastle through to several sites across County Durham.

News of the the latest store expansion comes as Aldi revealed that sales grew 16.4% across the UK and Ireland to a record £10.2 billion in 2017.

The supermarket also outlined plans to boost its range of British suppliers, who already account for its core range of meat, eggs, milk butter and fresh meat.

Read the full list of stores planned for the North East here

Bus diversions in Houghton-le-Spring

If you’re travelling by bus in Houghton-le-Spring there are diversions due to the Houghton Feast Parade.

The road has closed earlier than planned, with anyone waiting for a bus on Houghton Church or Newbottle Street asked to got to stops outside of Lidl on Hillside Way.

Congestion in Hartlepool

There is heavy traffic on the A689 Stockton Street between the A178 Church Street and Burn Road.

Benwell fire latest

Donna Goan, who works in the shop VaperAZ, said she received a call from the police wanting access to the building.

The 45-year-old said: “We got a call to say there had been a fire and they asked for the key so they could enter the building.

“When we came here about 6am the fireman took the key.

“We don’t know what has happened. We haven’t been inside the shop yet, but we think it is water damage from the fire above.”

Woman in hospital after Middlesbrough crash

A woman was taken to hospital after her car crashed into a lamp-post in Middlesbrough .

The accident happened near the junction of Acklam Road, Oxford Road and Whinney Banks Road just before 6.30pm on Friday.

The black car is thought to have hit a lamp-post, knocked down a barrier fence and landed on its side.

Police, fire brigade teams and paramedics were called to the scene.

Read more here

See Blyth gunman point rifle at ex and child

This is the moment a gunman brought fear and terror to our streets by aiming a rifle at his ex partner in broad daylight.

When David Mair spotted his on-off girlfriend in Blyth, he jumped out of a Range Rover and aimed his .22 Winchester rifle at her while shouting aggressively.

After she made off, Mair randomly pointed his weapon at a six-year-old deaf boy sitting in the front seat of his grandma’s car.

A court heard the youngster and his gran have been left traumatised and upset by the frightening ordeal.

Shortly afterwards, Mair then caught up with his former partner in a different part of the town and pointed the rifle just centimetres from her face.

Now the 32-year-old, who claimed his actions were motivated by his desire for more child contact, has been jailed for 22 months.

Read the full story here

City centre car park nearly full

The multi-storey car park at Eldon Square is almost full.

Delays to buses in South Shields

Works on a roundabout in South Shields is causing major delays to buses.

Go North East says it is trying to keep services running as normal through Coronation Street roundabout but may need to omit it when the area is blocked.

Lane closed on A1

One lane is closed on the A1 northbound from A1 (M) J65 Birtley (Gateshead) to A167 (Bowes Incline Angel of the North).

This due to an accident and traffic is very heavy.

Congestion on A167, Darlington

Traffic is moving very slowly on the A167 North Road, Darlington, outbound between Northgate and Salters Lane North. Travel time is five minutes.

Warning about walking dogs on beach

DOG owners who walk their pets on windy beaches risk giving their animals horrific ‘sandblast’ eye injuries, vets have warned.

A number of beaches in the North East were subject to a summer dog ban, including Whitley Bay, Cullercoats, Tynemouth, Blyth and Sunderland.

The exclusion zones were lifted on Monday, which means pets are allowed onto those beaches once again.
But, according to veterinary surgeon Iain Booth, founder of www.vetuk.co.uk, you should still think carefully before venturing back onto the sands with your four-legged friend.

Mr Booth says vets see severe irritation and inflammation of the eyes caused by exposure to windy beaches.
And he’s urging pet lovers to seek alternative walking locations for their furry chums.

Read full story here

A695 closed at Low Prudhoe

The A695 is closed in both directions at Low Prudhoe due to a crash.

There has been a collision between Regents Drive and the B6395. The road is expected to remain closed until later in the afternoon.

Police are on the scene directing traffic.

Footage from the scene

The road was still closed when our reporter arrived earlier this morning - more pictures from the scene last night here.

Latest from the scene

The fire has been put out but the roof of the affected property looks to have been destroyed.

There is also debris on the pavement and street along Adelaide Terrace.

It is not thought that anyone was hurt or taken to hospital, although paramedics did attend the scene.

Image from during the night

This is a screengrab from a Facebook Live video taken from the scene by a nearby resident last night.

As you can see, several firefighters were on Adelaide Terrace and an aerial pump is spraying water on the roof of the affected property.

Aftermath of the scene

This is the aftermath of the fire in Benwell.

'People were trying to run back into their homes'

One eyewitness, who didn’t want to be named, said they called the fire service at 2.30am.

She said they were trying to stop people running back into their properties, where the fire had spread to, to pick up belongings.

They were also giving people blankets and making cups of coffee and tea for people stood outside their homes.

Where is the fire?

The fire, which is believed to be ongoing, is on Adelaide Terrace in Benwell. Some eyewitnesses say it is in one of the shops nearby.

Photographer heading to the scene

We’ve got a photographer heading to the scene for the latest.

When did the fire start?

The fire in Benwell looks to have started in the early hours of this morning, at around 4am.

Large fire in Benwell

Firefighters are dealing with a fire at a building in the West End of Newcastle.

Five pumps and an aerial ladder are being used on Adelaide Terrace in Benwell.

The road is closed between the junction with Condercum Road and the Adelaide Centre.