North East news RECAP: Metros back on between Airport and Kingston Park

Here's a round-up of today's news

1. Newcastle’s biggest ever Christmas market starts to take shape

2. Ant and Dec to NUFC? Duo joke about buying out Mike Ashley after discovering tie to mega-rich cousin

3. Man dies at the Bigg Market in Newcastle city centre, police confirm

4. The Westgate Road shop that is so filthy, the council won’t let you look inside

5. Woman taken to hospital after being cut free from car that flipped onto its roof in Northumberland

Power restored for Heaton homes

Hundreds of homes in Heaton were left without electricity on Tuesday afternoon after a sudden power cut.

Northern Powergrid say 590 premises in the NE5 and NE6 postcode areas were left without power just before 2.30pm.

Engineers carried out work for a number of hours, with the company managing to reinstate power.

Its website stated: “The power cut affecting your property has been caused by an unexpected problem with the cables or equipment that serve your area.

“All of the power should be restored now have you tried resetting your trip switches by turning them all off and back on again.

“If this doesn’t restored the power please give us a call on 105.”

Going to be a cold night

“The showers will become increasingly confined to the coast this evening. Becoming mainly dry inland with long clear periods and a fairly widespread frost developing as winds ease.

“Perhaps also the odd fog patch. Minimum temperature -1 °C.”

Aunt's tribute to David Cleverley as she raises money for memorial bench at the place he loved

Loved ones of tragic David Cleverley are raising money to put a memorial bench at the place he loved.

The 34-year-old was found dead on rocks near near his home last Wednesday.

And today as friends and family struggle to come to terms with their loss, David’s aunt has launched a fundraising drive in his memory.

Olive Armstrong is hoping to raise enough money to buy a memorial bench to place at a spot he loved near the coast.

She said she hoped the seat, which she plans to place on the coast overlooking St Mary’s Island in Whitley Bay, would become a spot that David’s friends could visit to remember him.

Full story here.

Woman taken to hospital after being cut free from wrecked car

A woman has been taken to hospital after being cut free from a car that flipped onto its roof in Northumberland.

Emergency services were called to reports of a one-vehicle crash on Front Street, Prudhoe, at around 3pm on Monday.

Two fire crews were dispatched to the scene to help a woman who was trapped inside the vehicle on its roof as a result of a crash.

Police closed the road in both directions with traffic being diverted as firefighters used hydraulic equipment to cut the injured woman free.

She was handed over to paramedics who carried out medical assistance on Front Street before transporting her to Cramlington Hospital for further treatment.

The North East Ambulance Service was unable to provide the extent of the woman’s injuries.

Overnight roadworks on the A1(M)

'Despicable' paedophile finally jailed decades after campaign of abuse on young boy

A predatory paedophile who sexually assaulted a schoolboy and performed sex acts in front of two other children has been jailed.

Michael Robert Hall, 64, has been sentenced to eight years behind bars after being convicted of sexually abusing his victim over a number of years.

A court was told how his vulnerable victim was just seven years old when the abuse first started.

Hall was accused of assaulting him dozens of times while also performing sex acts in front of two other schoolgirls.

For years the abuse went unreported before the two girls bravely came forward and spoke to police more than two decades later, in 2017.

Full story here.

Busy traffic at the Tyne Tunnel

A19 Northbound busy but moving at the Tyne Tunnel.

Smuggler jailed for conspiracy that saw 1.6kg of opium hidden in cogs land in UK on Christmas Day

A smuggler has been jailed for over six years for his part in a conspiracy that saw 1.6kg of opium hidden in steel cogs land in the UK on Christmas Day.

Saleshi Siavashani was convicted by a jury at Newcastle Crown Court of conspiring to import Class A drugs after a suspicious package sent from Iran arrived at Heathrow airport on December 25 2016.

A court heard UK Border Force officials intercepted the parcel, which contained machinery including two large metal cogs.

They drilled holes into the cogs and found 1.65kg of opium hidden inside - a stash with a potential street value of £16,000.

Prosecutor Andrew Walker said the package was addressed to a property in Roker, Sunderland, so a “controlled delivery of the parcel was made”.

Full story here.

Police issue CCTV appeal after man is racially abused on the Metro

Police have released an image of a man they wish to trace after a Metro passenger was racially abused in Heworth.

Officers received a call from a man, just after 10am on October 3, who said he was being threatened on a Metro by another passenger.

An investigation was launched and now police have identified a man on CCTV who they would like to speak to in connection with the offence.

The man, pictured wearing a blue cap, was at the Metro station at the time of the offence and may have information that will assist the police investigation.

The man, or anyone who knows him, should contact police on 101 quoting crime reference 125712S/19 or report online at the Northumbria Police website.

You can also report it by calling independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Disruption on the Metro has now cleared

Metros resumed heading to Airport

The service has now resumed between Airport and Kingston Park in both directions after the earlier failed train.

Stagecoach are still accepting Metro tickets on their buses X77 and X78

Bus Information between Airport - Kingston Park

Stagecoach are accepting Metro tickets and passes on their bus services X77 and X78 in the affected area.

Metros suspended between Kingston Park and Airport

Wallsend woman who had sex change 'took eyes off the ball' and left cats to suffer

A woman blamed her sex change after her infected cats were found covered in fleas.

Julie-Ann Greenwood had the “life-changing surgery” in April to transition.

However, North Tyneside Magistrates’ Court heard she had “taken her eyes” off her two cats, Sapphire and Starlight.

The felines were caked in flea muck while Starlight was almost totally bald due to alopecia.

Full story here.

Police on scene at crash in Throckley

Hundreds of homes in Heaton to be left without electricity after sudden power cut

Hundreds of homes in Heaton were left without electricity on Tuesday afternoon after a sudden power cut.

Northern Powergrid say 590 premises in the NE5 and NE6 postcode areas were left without power since just before 2.30pm.

Engineers are currently in the area working to restore power, with the company giving an estimated time of 8pm.

Its website stated: “The power cut affecting your property has been caused by an unexpected problem with the cables or equipment that serve your area.

“We are currently working hard to restore your power however we are unable to provide an accurate restoration time. Please call us on 105 if you have any specific questions.”

TalkTalk broadband is fixed across the North East

TalkTalk customers across the North East have had their service restored more than seven hours after the broadband provider was flooded with complaints.

Reports of broadband problems spiked just after 9.30am on Tuesday, with most complaints coming from Newcastle and Gateshead.

Engineers have spent the majority of the day trying to fix the issues also affecting phone lines and TV service.

TalkTalk confirmed on its website that the service was fully restored at 4.14pm.

A spokesman said: “We’re aware that some customers in the North East of England are currently experiencing a loss of phone, broadband and TV service. This is due to an issue with a central exchange in Newcastle.

“This issue has now been resolved and the service has been fully restored. We’d like to apologise for any inconvenience caused during this time.”

Delays at Gilesgate

Train cancellation

The Northern service from Hexham at 17.59 to Nunthorpe due at 20.15 has been cancelled.

Broken down vehicle on the A1

One lane closed and queuing traffic due to broken down vehicle on A1 Western Bypass northbound from Swalwell Denton Burn roundabout.

Lane one (of two) is closed.

Man who carried out drive-by shooting wanted on prison recall

A man who was jailed for carrying out a drive-by shooting on a parked van is wanted on recall to prison.

Wayne Kelsey was released from prison on licence in July after serving a sentence for possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

The 45-year-old was given a seven-year sentence for shooting at a parked van in Haswell Plough in October 2014.

Police are now appealing for the public’s help in tracing Kelsey, who is believed to be in the Wheatley Hill area.

Anyone with any information on his whereabouts should call Durham Constabulary on 101.

If you would prefer to remain anonymous, you can pass information on to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Abandoned vehicle on the A1

One lane closed due to an abandoned vehicle on A1 Western Bypass northbound between Birtley and the Angel Of The North.

Traffic is coping well. Lane one (of three) is closed.

What time does Newcastle Christmas Market open and close?

City centre streets will be closed in Newcastle for over a month to make room for the expanded Christmas Market.

This year’s market will be bigger than last year’s , with stalls and attractions set to pop-up on Blackett Street and Northumberland Street, as well as the Greys Monument area.

Buses, cars and motorbikes will be banned from Blackett Street from November 16 until December 28.

Parts of the market will be open until the New Year, although sections of it will cease trading from Christmas Eve.

Full story here.

Gap in service on the Metro

I'm A Celebrity 2019 full line-up confirmed

With the new series of Strictly Come Dancing now well under way, there are just days to go now until this year’s I’m A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! is back on our screens.

The rumour mill had been in overdrive as speculation mounted about who would be heading Down Under for this year’s show - set to be made even better with the jungle reunion of Ant and Dec.

From soap stars to sports stars, a whole host of different celebrities had seen their names linked with a stint on I’m A Celebrity, all hoping to follow in the footsteps of 2018 winner Harry Redknapp.

And now, the actual line-up has been confirmed.

Cancer survivor bursts into tears as she meets woman who saved her life

A cancer survivor has finally met her anonymous saviour almost a decade after her transplant.

Becca Anderson, from South Shields, was diagnosed with leukaemia ten years ago.

As a student aged 18, Becca often felt ill but thought it merely was the result of stress and working too hard, but blood tests confirmed something far more serious.

Becca was later told she would need a stem cell transplant.

Metro train withdrawn

A gap in the Metro service has been reported between Monkseaton and St James due to a train being withdrawn.

There is likely to be delays and some disruption for passengers.

NUFC news and analysis

These are some of the latest NUFC headlines from the sports team.

1. Newcastle United news LIVE: Sources close to Mexican Sports Group react to Magpie takeover claims
   
2. Mick McCarthy feels Ciaran Clark deserves credit for Newcastle’s recent upturn in form
   
3. Chris Sutton believes some Newcastle fans will be embarrassed by the way they’ve treated Steve Bruce
   
4. Newcastle United winger Matt Ritchie calls time on his Scotland career
   
5. Ryan Fraser slams Bournemouth for not capitalising on crowd unrest against Newcastle United
   

Areas around the North East without broadband

TalkTalk say their engineers are working with Openreach engineers to restore broadband services as quickly as possible.

A specialist engineer has been sent to Killingworth to carry out further tests.

The fault is affecting the following areas:

• Barningham
• Bedlington
• Blyth
• Cramlington
• Dudley
• Killingworth
• Newcastle
• North Tyneside
• Seaton