Tyne Tees Tyneside

A man has been charged in connection with the death of Gordon Smith from Newcastle, whose body was found outside a property at Windermere on 1 July.

26 year old Mark Russell of Holly Terrace in Windermere has been charged with murder, and remanded in police custody.

He will appear in court on Monday.

Three other people have been bailed; a 48 year old woman and a 15 year old girl - both from Kent - and a 31 year old from Millom in Cumbria.

Thirty-four homes on a street in South Shields were evacuated this evening after police received a report of a gas leak.

It happened just before 6pm this evening, March 3 at an address on Trinity Walk.

The homes were evacuated as a temporary measure while the property was made safe and all residents returned to their homes within two hours.

A 25-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and is in police custody.

The Tyne and Wear Metro station at Chichester is closed due to a fire alert.

Police are appealing for information after a robbery in Wallsend. Police received reports that two men threatened a member of staff wit a hammer at the Nationwide building society in High Street East, on December 15. The men were wearing dark clothing and had their faces covered with scarves. They stole a cashbox from the guard.

Police are appealing for information to trace a missing 34-year-old man who left his home on Marton Road, Middlesbrough on December 12. He did not return.

Lee Patterson was planning to travel to Carlisle where he has links and police have a sighting of him on a train leaving Middlesbrough at around 7.30am on Friday. As well as Cumbria, Lee also has connections with the Tyneside and Durham areas.

Lee is white, 6’ tall and of large build. He has a fair, clean shaven complexion, blue/green eyes and short dark brown hair. Police say there will be no photograph released.

During an interview with ITV News Tyne Tees, Dec said that Byker Grove was a very special time because it was where the Geordie duo met and began their friendship and careers.

Any & Dec have been speaking to ITV News Tyne Tees about the 25th anniversary of the first episode of Byker Grove. The Geordie TV presenters said the success they have had since the hit teenage drama has been amazing.

CBeebies has tweeted a picture of the Byker Grove cast when they were younger. The show first aired 25 years ago today.