Police are appealing for information after the three koi carp were taken from a pond in the back garden of a home in Chibburn Court, Widdrington Station.

The theft took place between midnight on Friday, January 1, and 10am on Saturday, January 2. The fish were eventually found a short distance away in a plastic bag.

Anyone with information about the theft should contact Morpeth Police on 03456 043043 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

A 6ft mural of the 1970s comic book character Cerebus the Aardvark had brightened up a bridge near Blyth for nearly three decades until its disappearance last weekend.

Despite its popularity, Northumberland County Council blitzed the colourful design as part of a crackdown on graffiti.

The petition is the largest ever collected by the RSPB.

According to the RSPB's most recent annual Birdcrime report, published last August, Northumberland is the third worst county in England for illegal persecution against birds of prey.

Previous issues of the Golden Guide have gone down so well with the over-50s that there was a waiting list for the latest 5,000-copy print run.

The free booklet, which is produced by community information specialists Clever Clogs Publishing in partnership with Age Concern Northumberland, the county council and care trust, has also been given a new design.

The Trap Inn, in Broomhill near Widdrington, held a rockamarathon, with three local bands playing free of charge.

Picture by Carl Angus from Amble

The Range, Life Crisis and Nightrain took to the stage to raise money for Help For Heroes, which supports servicemen and women who have been injured in conflicts.

The region's case for carbon capture and storage (CCS) would see pipelines from Teesside and the Alcan factory in Lynemouth link together and store CO2 under the sea.

Across the region some 26,000 jobs are dependant on energy companies meeting strict Government targets on carbon emissions.

A community forum for Widdrington and its surrounding villages will meet next week to start identifying and tackling local problems and concerns.

The meeting - at 6pm on February 12 in Hadston community centre - will take the form of an information and discussion session.

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.

The Liberal Democrat MP was revealed to have claimed expenses for cleaning his home, laundry, a new television and kitchen equipment when the furore over expenses broke.

He was also listed as claiming around £1,200 a month in rent on average.

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.

Widdrington Station and Stobswood Parish Council, near Morpeth, is considering the gritting proposal following complaints about dangerous roads and pavements.

Members said many routes in the village were not included in Northumberland County Council's gritting service and residents struggled to get out of their streets, while pathways were treacherous.

Now they will write to county officials to see if they can pay for extra services out of parish funds.

Northern area highways manager Richard Hayes said: "We do not have the resources to salt particular areas of the road network upon request but we do regularly treat over 1,000 miles of our roads when wintry conditions are forecast."

Education officials at the county council have submitted a planning application to demolish Hirst High School in Ashington and build the new academy - sponsored by the Duke of Northumberland and the Church of England - on adjacent land.

The new building will cater for almost 2,000 junior, senior and special educational needs children, and form the centrepiece of the five-site Hirst Academy.

Two years ago the mum-of-five was battling for life after being diagnosed with a deadly heart virus and told by doctors to say her goodbyes to loved ones.

Victoria desperately needed a heart transplant and, when she was hours from death, a donor was found.

After surviving the terrible odds, the 34-year-old and her fiancee, Shane Summers, 39, who met at East Chevington Social Club, decided to tie-the-knot at Morpeth Registry Office on the second anniversary of Victoria's heart transplant yesterday.

New solar panels will be installed at Widdrington Station Community Centre, in Northumberland, on February 1.

The project is the work of parish councillor Jacqueline Bexfield, who has spent months seeking funding for the venture.

Local community forums are about to start a six-month programme of public engagement, including public meetings, to help draw up community plans, which will influence future decisions and changes.

Meetings will take place in the Choppington, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea and Ellington, Linton and Lynemouth areas.

For further information, contact Lynda Fakir, Locality Development Officer for South East Northumberland on 0845 600 6400, email Lynda.Fakir@northumberland.gov.uk or visit northumberland.gov.uk.