Tyne & Wear's former deputy chief fire officer, Alan Holmes, who is now heading a project to build new fire stations across the North East, will be made an OBE for his services to local government.

Mr Holmes is director of the North East Fire and Rescue Authorities project, which will see stations built across the region.

"It's a terrific honour. and I'm flattered and humbled,'' said Mr Holmes.

The married father of two, of Stonecroft, Horsley, Northumberland, had a distinguished fire service career spanning 44 years, rising through the ranks after starting as a rookie firefighter in Newcastle's West End. He was awarded the Queen's Fire Service Medal in 2002.

As children wound down for the Christmas break, one set of youngsters had a special reason to feel the seasonal cheer.

As well as the usual annual activities, including Harvest Festival, learning Christmas carols and staging a Nativity play, the children at St Matthew's Primary, in Prudhoe, have been settling in at their revamped school.

As far as Autumn terms go, it has made this one particularly exciting. At the start of the term in September, St Matthew's became a primary having previously been a first school.

A housing company boss has apologised for a mum's nightmare Christmas when she and her son were left without heating or hot water.

Divorcee Margaret Masters had planned to have Christmas dinner with her 84-year-old mum Elizabeth Mason, but, with just eight days to go, Mrs Mason died.

The nightmare got worse for already devastated mother-of-three Mrs Masters on Christmas Eve when she returned from a shopping trip to find water leaking through the ceiling of her home in Stanley Crescent, Prudhoe.

A Prudhoe man was found shooting up in a Tyneside park.

Recovering drug addict Anthony Gormley was seen trying to inject himself with a syringe in Ferndene Park, Ryton, in Gateshead.

Gateshead magistrates heard that police attended the park at 2.50pm on October 18 after receiving a call about two men acting suspiciously in the popular park.

A multimillion pound TV and radio studio could be built in Tynedale.

The £5m development would be part of a string of media centres nationwide.

Designs are being drawn up by Napper Architects, the firm behind The Alnwick Garden and the Law Courts on Newcastle Quayside.

Whickham's challenge for one of the three promotion places in the Second Division received an unexpected setback at Prudhoe Town.

Terry Ritson's side were favourites to rack up another victory, but had to settle for a goal-less draw against Warren Fisher's bottom-of-the-table opponents.

Fisher, who played for Newcastle Blue Star and West Allotment Celtic, turned out for only the second time this season - but could make more regular appearances in future.

A benefits adviser who wrote a letter urging a client and her husband to lie to a tribunal panel was jailed yesterday for six months.

Paul Brennan ran Lancashire-based Benefit Information Services Ltd providing assistance for people making disability claims.

He drafted a letter to Sandra MacKinnon, pictured, from Prudhoe shortly before she was due to attend a resumed hearing in Newcastle into her long-running claim.

Tynedale rugby director John Shotton believes his club can field the best XV in National Two if they have everyone available.

Tynedale moved into fourth place in the division after their North East derby victory over Blaydon, leaving them 13 points clear of their regional rivals before the league's Christmas break.

It was another notable scalp for Tynedale in a season in which they have surprised many after promotion as champions last season - but rugby director Shotton always felt that they possessed strength-in-depth.

"With the reorganisation of the leagues it's very difficult to get promoted because just one team will be going up, but we've started to look towards that part of the table now," he said.

Budget proposals - including proposed efficiency savings and likely Council Tax levels - for Northumberland's new unitary council will be discussed at a series of area committee meetings in January, which are open to the public.

The Tynedale meeting will be held in Hexham's Beaumont Hotel at 6pm on the 20th.

There were few points but plenty of excitement as Blaydon wasted a wonderful opportunity to beat Tynedale in National League Two.

Tynedale somehow managed to edge the derby encounter 8-5, despite being put under severe pressure by the visitors, with some desperate last-ditch defending preserving their long unbeaten record at Corbridge.