Seven Woolworths stores across the North East closed yesterday.

Stores in Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, County Durham and Stockton were trading throughout the day, with further closures expected on January 2 and 5.

Everything including fixtures and fittings was being sold at discount prices at the stores in Alnwick, Hexham and Morpeth, Northumberland.

Work is set to begin on a new £1.2m railway crossing.

Network Rail is replacing the barriers at the level crossing in Haydon Bridge, near Hexham, in Northumberland.

Temporary barriers will be put up and two crossing attendants will be on hand to guide pedestrians across the tracks.

A man was airlifted to hospital suffering severe head injuries after a crash.

The victim, believed to be aged about 25, was taken to Newcastle General Hospital by air ambulance following the collision on the A6079 between Wall and Chollerford, near Hexham.

Six people were involved in the collision, which happened at about 1.30pm yesterday. Five were in one vehicle.

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.

Funding would come from a £55m pot from the Department for Children Schools and Families to create media centres nationwide.

Almost 50 vehicles were stopped as part of a police crackdown on red diesel in Northumberland.

Two teams of officers spent a day targeting Hexham, Corbridge, Haltwhistle and Allendale and two motorists were fined.

Sgt Nick Garrett said: "We also dealt with other road traffic offences and gathered some valuable intelligence.

Hexham's Queen Elizabeth High School flew the flag for state schools when pupils took part in a speaking competition.

Students from QEHS won prizes in three out of five of the categories during the annual Northumberland and Durham Classical Association recitation competition, held at Newcastle University.

Year 13 student Nick Henderson won the senior Latin recitation category, while Year 10 pupils Cecily Snowball and Fay Taylor won the classics in translation section. QEHS was the only state school in the contest.

Hexham served up a festive feast on Saturday in the Re/Max Northern Football Alliance when third placed Wideopen came to the Wentworth Leisure Centre.

There was definitely no Christmas hangover as they produced one of the best displays since the team rejoined the Alliance.

The lives and times of our Tudor ancestors are to be brought back to life at a festive event.

People are invited to Hexham's Old Gaol to learn more about life in Tudor times between December 29 and January 3 from 10am-3pm, last entry 2.30pm.

A pilot who defied death for the third time when his plane dropped from the sky after the tail fell off says he wants to get back in the air again.

It is almost a year since Great North Air Ambulance pilot Jim Martin suffered horrific injuries when his microlight plunged into woods in Northumberland at about 115mph.

His friend and co-pilot Jon Ker, of Rothbury, also an air ambulance pilot, suffered serious head injuries and both were in hospital for weeks.

A Hexham leisure centre has welcomed its 100,000th customer since its refurbishment.

The Wentworth Leisure Centre reopened in August following extensive developments, including the creation of a new swimming pool.