Blyth Valley Labour MP Ronnie Campbell (pictured) branded the summer event 'a weekend out for toffs'.

He strongly criticised Northumberland County Council - which is in the midst of making budget cuts totalling £40m over two years - for earmarking £80,000 to stage the high-profile equestrian event.

A progress report on the review reveals hundreds of people have made their views known on whether parking fees should be imposed across the whole county - rather than just in selected towns.

More than 560 people have signed three separate petitions calling for an equal policy across the board, with charges being made in all principal towns.

It was planned to put up the annual charge for the service from £20 to £25 in March - to bring in an extra £60,000 and help the county council achieve tough budget savings.

Now the saving will have to be found elsewhere after Conservative and Labour councillors joined forces to defeat the move at a meeting in County Hall on Wednesday.

Scores of these ferocious- looking fish have been found flapping around on the region's beaches with no apparent explanation.

Fishermen have been left puzzled, schoolchildren think they're finding piranhas and experts in marine life are fascinated.

Seaton Valley Council has increased its precept after setting its budget for 2010-11 at £79,422.

It means a slight increase in what the council is asking for as its share of council tax, compared to the current year. However, it will mean that a Band A property will still only pay approximately £11 during 2010-11.

The white-beaked dolphin is a little studied species which occurs around the coast of the UK and is vulnerable to the effects of global warming.

It lives in the cold waters of the northern Atlantic and its available habitat is thought to be shrinking.

More than 800 vulnerable pensioners across the county use the scheme, which allows them concessionary travel in taxis because they are unable to use other forms of public transport.

They use council-issued vouchers, tokens or passes to pay for taxi trips to the shops, GP and hospital appointments or to visit relatives and friends.

The Scamnesty 2010 campaign runs from February 1 to 26 and will involve people dropping mail scams they receive through their letterbox into designated Scamnesty boxes which will be placed across Northumberland.

Online scams can also be reported via the virtual Scamnesty bin at www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/scamnesty.

The Liberal Democrat administration at County Hall has drawn up the revised savings for 2010/11 after carrying out public consultations on initial £16m proposals published in November.

They will be discussed by the executive next week - and are based on the assumption the Government will allow the council to capitalise its £10m redundancy costs this year, cushioning the impact on the revenue budget.

Blyth Valley's Ronnie Campbell is seeking information from Government ministers on the measures available to local councils, the police and law-abiding citizens to address the problems of trouble, nuisance and disorder.

He said: "Despite all the legislation which the Government has put through, and the way official police figures show a big drop in the numbers of actual crimes being committed, I still have a large number of people who tell me that law and order is the biggest problem we all face.

The regional objects are part of the History of the World project between the BBC, the British Museum and a further 350 museums and institutions across the country.

A Hartley Colliery Disaster memorial drinking glass from the Woodhorn Museum in Ashington is included in the list.

A dozen libraries in the county have been earmarked for closure as Northumberland County Council looks to make massive savings in the next budget.

Libraries at Ashington Hirst, Lynemouth, Kielder, Bedlington Station, Blyth South Beach and Hadston were first in line for the axe because of their alleged low usage, under initial consultations on £16m worth of cuts.

Snow has not fully thawed in all parts of the county following last week's downfall and some areas were hit again on Wednesday night.

Predictions for the county on Saturday are for heavy rain and temperatures of between three and five degrees celsius.

Children at Seaton Sluice Middle School decided to give £400 of the money they raised to their favourite charities, rather than keeping it all for the school to carry out improvements.

It was entirely their own idea and class representatives on the school council voted to give £400 of the money raised from their sponsored fun run to charity.

Northumberland County Council is trying to get back to a normal bin collection routine.

A spokeswoman said: "There has inevitably been disruption to the bin collection service in Northumberland due to the recent winter weather conditions - particularly in the more rural areas of the county.

"The council is asking residents to refer to the normal collection timetable for their area, and place the correct coloured bin out on the next scheduled collection day. Where a bin has been missed the council will collect additional bags of waste on the next visit.