The net could be closing in on a runaway dog that sparked off a huge hunt by scores of volunteers and animal rescue workers.

Lady, a three-year-old cocker spaniel, disappeared from her new home in Milton Keynes just over a week ago after being rehoused from a rescue shelter in Northumberland.

Her disappearance has seen a mammoth search operation being organised by Cynthia and Graham Turvey of the Northern English Springer Spaniel Rescue centre in Red Row.

Police are warning drivers make sure their vehicles are secure following the thefts of two high-value cars.

The first theft happened in Stannington, between 4pm and 9pm on Tuesday when a house in Station Road was burgled and the thieves found the keys to a dark blue BMW 120 registration number NA55 ZZN.

In a separate incident, which is not being linked at this stage, officers are appealing for information after a green Land Rover defender was stolen near Tritlington between 4pm and 4.10pm on Saturday, November 21.

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.

On Sunday 22 November, Amble's Christmas lights switch-on was marked by the annual Lantern Parade.

For the third time in a row, a Northumberland school has been rated "outstanding" - making it one of the best performing in the country.

Ellington First School was visited by Government inspectors, Ofsted, recently and their findings have just been published.

From left, Ewan Williams, Lydia Fraser, Billy Hays, Robyn Lang, Benjamin Graham and Amy Watson

The report describes the school as outstanding in all categories, which is the highest grade possible.

A schoolgirl from Widdrington has made the final of the Evening Chronicle's Christmas card design competition. From a postbag of hundreds, the entries have been whittled down to two.

Now Toon fans will be receiving the designs as official Christmas e-cards, and the lucky winners are now looking forward to being presented with their winning designs pitch-side at St James' Park before Newcastle take on Watford, on December 5.

In the over-eights category, 12-year-old Chloe Fraser, of Druridge Bay Middle School, came out on top.

Chloe, of Widdrington, was delighted to be crowned one of the Christmas card competition winners.

Busker Derek Allan will play Father Christmas for some terminally ill children by asking the public to give him toys instead of money when he plays on the streets.

Rocker Derek will be playing in Alnwick Market Square on Saturday, but instead of people giving him money for his efforts, he is asking them to buy a present for a child which he will pass on to a charity.

The idea was inspired by Derek's childhood in a care home when volunteers from RAF Boulmer brightened one Christmas with unexpected gifts.

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.

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.

Thousands of staff across Northumberland will find out on Friday what impact massive council cuts will have on their jobs.

County bosses looking to make savings worth more than £30m a year will order heads of department to call in staff on Friday and explain the difficult choices about to be made.

Thousands of staff will be emailed a request to consider taking voluntary redundancy as part of jobs cuts which are expected to see hundreds of staff leave.