The household waste recovery centre at Kirkley West Thorn, near Ponteland, will be closed on four days next month to allow the access road to be resurfaced.

It will shut on December 11 and 12, open over the weekend, and then close again on December 15 and 16.

Tennagers who put their talents on trial have won through to the national finals of a courtroom test.

A team of students from Ponteland High School beat seven rival teams to clinch a place in the regional heat of a nationwide competition organised by the Law Society.

A Ponteland woman whose life has been touched by cancer is making a final push to raise funds into groundbreaking scientific research.

Ann-Marie Laws, who took part in Cancer Research UK's Race for Life, is now making a final push for sponsorship raised this year to be returned.

More than £1m is expected to have been raised from events across the North East which will go into groundbreaking research being carried out by scientists in Newcastle.

People in Northumberland are getting good adult social care, according to a new national inspection.

The Commission for Social Care Inspection has given Northumberland's adult services department a two-star rating, and says it has "excellent capacity" for improvement.

Northumberland's countryside service is encouraging people to consider winter walks at Bolam Lake Country Park.

Mike Jeffrey, Countryside Access and Recreation Manager at Northumberland County Council, said: "There's nothing better on a frosty day than a bracing walk through the countryside. The parks in Northumberland are great places to get out to in the winter months.

"The four parks have something for everyone, from lakeside, woodland and open grassed areas to meadows, river banks, beaches and sand dunes. With plenty of trails to explore, it's the perfect place for some fresh air, to stretch your legs, have a winter picnic or take photographs of the fantastic views."

Hadrian's Wall is set for nearly 50,000 new visitors after an ad campaign in London.

Heritage bosses last night said the publicity drive in the capital had made it the North East's most recognised attraction.

People were questioned as they emerged from Tube stations in London before and after a marketing campaign woven around the major British Museum exhibition on the Emperor Hadrian, which ran for three months until October 24.

A Tynedale tree nursery is helping North East students prepare for their future careers by hosting hands-on visits to its tree plantations.

Around 30 students from Kirkley Hall College in Ponteland have been spending time at the Trees Please nursery in Corbridge, to get practical ideas and experience about tree establishment and production techniques.

The Northumberland Theatre Company will be bringing its latest production to Heddon as part of a big national tour.

Straw Headed Peter by award winning writer Mike Kenny is a re-telling of classic cautionary tales written Dr Heinrigh Hoffman more than 150 years ago. It features a talented cast including Stephanie Butler, Nigel Collins and Philip Oakland.

A collection of jewellery stolen from Ponteland has been recovered in Newcastle.

The find followed the arrest of two Throckley men in connection with burglaries in Northumberland, including five recent burglaries in the Darras Hall area.

Morpeth Neighbourhood Inspector, Rod Maclennan, said: "This was an unusual number of burglaries in what has always been a very low crime area and residents may have noticed an increased police presence in the area over recent weeks. Hopefully residents can be reassured by the action we have taken."

People in Northumberland are being urged to have their say on executive decision-making arrangements for the county's new super-council which takes over in April.

Consultations on the issue close on Friday so residents are being reminded to comment before it is too late.