A Northumberland MP has insisted reports of his death are an exaggeration after rumours swept his constituency that he had died.

What some people call the 'purest form' of English, the Northumbrian dialect, has been eroded over time and no-one knows how much Northumbrians and Geordies still have their own way of speaking.

Ronnie Campbell, Labour MP for Blyth Valley, has spoken out amid a divided reaction from North East MPs over proposed changes to the expenses system.

Only three top-flight league games were down for decision in the Northern Alliance Premier Division at the weekend due to league cup fixtures.

The two-hour sponsored aerobic workouts will be led by qualified instructors across 70 leisure centres in the North East and Yorkshire.

The raid, later immortalised in the 1977 film A Bridge Too Far, was a heroic but ultimately doomed attempt to shorten the war by capturing key bridges on the Maas and Rhine rivers.

An opencast coal mine looks set to be given the go-ahead by planners. Banks Mining wants to mine 2.4m tonnes of coal and 200,000 tonnes of fireclay over 11 years at a site north of Dinnington.

Cramlington Folk Club will be tonight welcoming the enduring North East folk group Prelude as special guests for their weekly meeting.

The enterprising boss of The Officers Club says he expects the menswear retailer which collapsed at Christmas to turn in sales worth around £50m this year.