Children can prepare for Christmas with some green-themed fun.

Prudhoe Castle and Cockshot Dene are holding family open days from 11am to 3pm this Saturday and Sunday.

Children of all ages can make their mark by making decorated alphabet letters at the Children's Centre to put up in the tree canopy along the footpath to the castle.

And families can join a tree survey session organised by OPAL (Open Air Laboratories) to help record air quality in the area by monitoring lichen growth on trees.

There will be mulled wine and juice at the castle and soup at the Children's Centre. For details, contact Andrea at the Volunteer Centre, Prudhoe, on (01661) 836 668 or visit www.cockshotdene.org

The victim of a bike smash in which his friend was killed has spoken of how the accident has left him unable to remember two years of his life.

Richie Proud, now 20, still has to take medication for his injuries, four years after the crash. He has been unable to work since and much of the previous two years of his life is still missing from his memory.

Richie, who was a pillion passenger on the bike, was giving evidence during an inquest into the death of Jamie Johnson, who was killed in the smash in Mickley, near Prudhoe, in February 2006.

A Prudhoe teenager who died in a motorbike crash was three times over the drink-drive limit, an inquest into his death has heard.

In February 2006, Jamie Johnson smashed into a parked car at 50mph while being followed by PC Kevin Ashurst.

A toxicology report using a blood sample taken from the 19-year-old's body showed 239mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood, three times the legal limit. No drugs were found in his system.

Below is a sneak preview of how tourism bosses believe Northumberland's identity could be portrayed in the future.

It follows an announcement from Northumberland Tourism that it plans to "present a new face to the world" in 2010.

As part of a re-focussing of advertising and promotion the travel chiefs are aiming to lure more big-spending holidaymakers to the area.

A talented Prudhoe teenager is reaching for the bright lights of London after her first big break.

Natalie Hall beat off hundreds of others in auditions for the London Academy for Performing Arts, near Bayswater, and also won a scholarship.

The 18-year-old, who trains at the Tyne Theatre Stage School, at Newcastle College, is jumping for joy after hearing the news.

A traffic police sergeant told an inquest how he ordered a motorbike pursuit to be abandoned after judging it to be too risky.

The bike, ridden by Jamie Johnson, was being followed by PC Kevin Ashurst on country lanes before it crashed into a parked car in Mickley, near Prudhoe.

Jamie, 19, of Prudhoe, was killed in the collision in February 2006, and his pillion passenger, Richie Proud, was severely injured.

A leaked report has laid bare the full extent of a £16m package of cuts being drawn up by council bosses in Northumberland.

Details of Northumberland County Council's draft budget for 2010/11 will go to the Liberal Democrat controlled authority's executive later this month, with the anticipated savings coming in at £15.772m.

The document proposes a series of cuts across all council departments, with areas worst affected set to include highways, adult care, youth services, libraries, leisure centres, public transport and refuse collection.

Three men have been arrested in connection with an armed robbery in Northumberland.

The incident took place at the Spar shop on Prospect Terrace, in Prudhoe, Northumberland, just before 4.40pm on Wednesday.

Two masked raiders wielding weapons burst into the store. One slammed a metal chain on the counter and asked the shop assistant to load their bag with the day's takings.

Around 600 more posts are set to be axed at Northumberland County Council as embattled town hall bosses seek a further round of budget cuts of up to £30m next year.

County leaders will meet later this month to examine a number of "financial scenarios" aimed at achieving the massive savings without having to slash front line services, bring in a big council tax hike or make large-scale compulsory redundancies.

Yesterday it emerged that the scale of the cuts required will mean between 400 and 600 posts being axed from the 8,500-strong workforce - on top of the 800 which were shed this year.

Police pursuit rules had to be changed following the death of a teenage biker in Northumberland, an inquest was told. The Independent Police Complaints Commission launched an inquiry after the death of teenager Jamie Johnson in 2006.

Jamie had been riding a motorbike late at night while not wearing a helmet in Mickley, near Prudhoe. He was spotted by a police patrol car being driven by a PC Ashurst, which tried to get him to stop by putting its blue lights on.

When the bike failed to stop, the officer followed for several minutes, but the bike crashed, killing Jamie and seriously injuring his passenger.