Tyne Tees Tyneside

South Shields rugby star Katy Mclean has already received an MBE for services to rugby and captained the England team that won the Rugby World Cup in Paris.

Now, she has spoken of her delight in the news that Darlington will host the New Zealand team for the Rugby World Cup next year, which she thinks will be "massive" for the area:

Darlington Mowden Park Arena & Event Manager Danny Brown, who helped put together Darlington's application for the team base, has said Mowden is now the biggest rugby venue outside of Twickenham:

Read More: Darlington to host All Blacks in Rugby World Cup

It's been confirmed that Darlington will be an official team base for the Rugby World Cup in 2015, hosting the All Blacks.

Tyneside's training facilities will be used by the stars of next year’s Rugby World Cup. Four venues in Newcastle and Gateshead, and the fifth in Darlington, have been chosen to host the athletes when the world’s third largest sporting event comes to St James’ Park in 2015.

Police have charged four men following an alleged kidnapping incident in Gateshead.

It happened between 2.30am and 3am, on Sunday, August 10, when a 28-year-old man was taken against his will by a group of men from an address on Croft Close, in Ryton, in a vehicle.

He managed to escape and reported the incident to the police.

Four people have now been charged with kidnap. They are:

William Black, 30, of Grange Crescent, Leam Lane, Gateshead; Jordan White, 28, of Elswick Road, Newcastle; Jordan Reynolds, 21, of Willow Grove, Felling and Andrew Hall, 19, of Avalon Walk, Newcastle.

A man has been arrested after a woman was found dead on a patch of land in Gateshead. The body of the 28 year old was found outside a former school building, and former care home, on parkland at Windmill Hills, just off Bensham Road.

A report is being prepared for the coroner.

A man aged 41 has been arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the offer to supply drugs. He is currently helping police with enquiries.

Police are continuing to investigate the death and are keen to speak to anyone with information.

This is the second suspected drugs death on Tyneside this week.

On Monday Bradley Dodds, aged 18, was found collapsed on a street at Kingston Park, Newcastle.

He died in hospital later the same day.

A phone was stolen in Newcastle.

In the early hours of Saturday, July 12, a handbag containing a mobile phone was stolen inside Powerhouse nightclub on Westmorland Street.

The owner of the phone had a security feature activated which sends any images taken on the phone to her cloud account.

Anyone with information should contact Northumbria Police.

The father of one of the two Newcastle United supporters killed in the Flight MH17 disaster is travelling to Downing Street to meet the Prime Minister.

Barry Sweeney caught a train at Newcastle Central station shortly after 9am today, for a pre-arranged meeting at Downing Street.

Mr Sweeney wants the government to do more to ensure that the bodies of all 298 victims are returned to their loved ones as soon as possible.

Barry's son Liam died alongside his friend John Alder.

They were onboard a plane which crashed after apparently being struck by a missile over Ukranian airspace. There were no survivors.

Speaking to ITV Tyne Tees as he waited to board a train this morning, Barry Sweeney spoke of his hope that today's meeting with David Cameron would result in concrete action.

Police have released CCTV images of a man they want to speak to after a theft in Newcastle.

It happened at a Post Office at Moulton Court, on Thursday, June 5, when a white Samsung tablet was stolen from inside the shop.

It is believed this man may have information which will help the investigation.

Anyone who recognises him is asked to contact police on 101 ext 69191 quoting reference number 30421N/14 , or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Safety warnings are being repeated, following the death of a man who was pulled from the River Tyne at the weekend.

The man, who was in his forties, went into the water at the Fish Quay in North Shields to retrieve something he had dropped.

He got into difficulties, and efforts to revive him failed.