Firefighters battled to save a garage from damage after it was targeted by yobs.

Smoke could be seen for miles around when hundreds of used tyres in a large storage container next to the Westbourne Garage in Seaton Delaval were set on fire.

Crews from Blyth and Cramlington went to the scene after the alarm was raised at around 10pm yesterday.

People in two areas of Northumberland have asked the county council for help amid fears over gangs of young people gathering in local parkland.

Dog walkers in the South Newsham Road area of Blyth say they feel unsafe and intimidated because of youths using a makeshift den in nearby woodland as a meeting place to drink alcohol.

And concerns were raised at Holywell Dene near Seaton Delaval about possible fire damage to a number of trees and the amount of litter left behind by youths who hang around there.

A presentation on plans to revamp the region's hospitals takes place in Northumberland next week.

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is proposing a new specialist emergency care hospital near Cramlington for people living in Northumberland and North Tyneside, improvements to Wansbeck and North Tyneside general hospitals and rebuilding community hospitals in Berwick and Haltwhistle.

A presentation on the plans takes place at a meeting of Warkworth Parish Council on Thursday, June 4 at 6.30pm in the Memorial Hall on Castle Street.

A street collection for the National Trust's campaign to save Seaton Delaval Hall has raised £414.

The fundraiser took place in Newcastle city centre between November 16 and November 19 in 2008.

The group has already raised just over £2.9m so far towards their £6.3m target to save Seaton Delaval Hall and Estate in Northumberland. Anyone wishing to make a donation should log onto www.nationaltrust.org.uk/seatondelaval or call 0844 800-1895.

A church has completed the first phase of its transformation to become a vital centre for art in South East Northumberland.

St Paul's Church in Seaton Sluice has just had £27,000 of work carried out to it on its way to becoming an exhibition gallery for talented artists in the district.

If more fundraising is successful, further phases will see changes costing between £200,000 and £300,000 to complete the work and turn the church into a multi-purpose centre.

The same three clubs as last year - Walker Central, Gillford Park and Harraby Catholic - filled the leading places in the Re-Max Northern Alliance Premier Division table.

Seaton Delaval brought the curtain down with a 3-1 win at Ashington Colliers to confirm a fourth-place finish.

The game of musical chairs at the top of the SG Wealth Management Northumberland League continued with Alnmouth & Lesbury regaining top spot.

Alnmouth were almost back to full strength for their trip to Bates Cottages, and they certainly had too much power for their hosts even though Michael Fenwick hit a defiant 64, including nine fours and one six, when the Cottagers took first knock.

Bosses at Northumberland's new super council are being recommended to stick with its controversial 0845 single telephone number.

County hall chiefs have been urged by campaigners both locally and nationally to change the 0845 6006400 number, which has been provided since April 1 for all people who need to contact the unitary authority.

Rubbish police could confiscate bins if householders fill them with the wrong items.

Northumberland County Council hopes to crack down on contamination in recycling wheelie bins using hard-line tactics.

Householders who repeatedly ignore warnings to stop throwing waste food, nappies or dirty items into the bin which is supposed to be for dry, clean, recyclable materials, will have their bin confiscated.

The washout weather of last year has been blamed for drop in water quality off North East beaches.

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) will today announce a 16.5% drop in the number of UK bathing beaches recommended for excellent water quality in its annual Good Beach Guide.

The MSC's North East area, which extends to the Humber, saw a 23% decline in recommended beaches.