Durham County, England News

A player who was told he would never play football again following surgery at 32 made his comeback against a Newcastle Utd XI Footballer Mark Eccles has defied the odds to turn out for his team less than a year after he suffered a heart attack on the training pitch.

The Met Office today issued severe weather warnings for the North East and Cumbria, as heavy downpours caused problems on region's roads Drivers using Scotswood Road in Newcastle had to negotiate deep surface water on the eastbound carriageway, and sandbags were laid in a bid to stop the water.

Buy this photo L/R Rob Warner and intrepid Frank McGain-Harding. Buy photo: 211308J INTREPID Frank McGain-Harding will spend Whitsun week walking the 86 miles along Hadrian's Wall Path to raise cash for Stourbridge charity No Limits Community Project.

Year three, four and five pupils from West Cornforth Primary School took part in a big tidy up event, picking up litter throughout the village.

TWO people were today jailed for 15 months each for their part in a cash-for-crash insurance scam - bringing to an end the biggest case of its kind heard in the country.

The Pigeon Detectives singer Matt Bowman commented: "We're a live band. That's where we cut our teeth, that's where we're most comfortable, that's where we have the most fun.

Green-fingered volunteers recently donated their time to transform an overgrown garden at Dubmire Primary School in Houghton-Le-Spring, Sunderland into an exciting new outdoor learning area.

New green apartments for the elderly in Crook have been named in a list of the top affordable housing developments in the country.

David Snow, 56, sustained a fractured skull, broken vertebrae in his neck and several breaks to his left leg in the incident at the Wienerberger plant near Bishop Auckland , County Durham on January 18 last year.

POLICE have warned motorists against using their mobile phones to take photos of accidents - after several drivers were seen taking images of a serious rush-hour crash this morning .

There may be no end in sight to the economic gloom but at least we can escape for a few hours on a track.

A DRUNKEN thug escaped jail after threatening an Arriva bus driver and smashing the front window with a fire extinguisher.

High winds and rain falling across the region this morning is creating havoc for motorists who are struggling with standing water and long queues.

The latest traffic, travel, weather, crime and breaking news updates from the Chronicle, covering Newcastle, Gateshead, North & South Tyneside, Northumberland, Sunderland and Durham The Chronicle's live breaking news blog brings you regular updates, pictures, video, tweets and comments covering the latest Newcastle and North East traffic, travel, ... (more)

SEEING DOUBLE: From left, Samantha Jackson with Jack and Liam; Susane Blowfield with Jasper and Sophia; and Fay Docherty with Jessica and Samuel.

The 12-year-old bagged a host of titles at her school sports day, earning her a share in the Victrix Ludorum.

SCHOOL and college leavers can get advice about their next steps at a series of drop-in events during the summer.

THE fighting spirit, which spurred a successful battle to save steelmaking on Teesside , must be galvanised again to protect 1,500 North-East jobs, an MP has warned.

DIG UNDER WAY: Martin Railton, from Wardell Armstrong Archaeology, watches a digger start work on the site of the Hitachi train factory last month A JAPANESE manufacturer has reiterated its commitment to employ as many North-East workers as possible on the project to bring train building back to the birthplace of the railways.

The A4 Union of South Africa engine will spend tonight at Stanhope Station in Weardale , County Durham.