A Bardon Mill man seriously injured during the Mumbai terrorist attacks was last night in a critical but stable condition.

Mike Murphy and his wife Diane, from Bardon Mill, Northumberland, were just a day into their holiday in the Indian city when gunmen stormed the tourist area.

Mr Murphy, 59, a retired teacher, was injured by a bullet in the ribs as the couple were caught up in the gunfire outside the popular Leopold cafe.

Opponents of plans for an opencast mine in Northumberland fear their battle will run until next spring.

HM Project Developments is seeking to excavate 140,000 tonnes of coal from the tiny hamlet of Halton Lea Gate, near the Cumbrian border.

A planning application has already been submitted to Northumberland County Council for three and a half years' work at the 75-acre site and is currently the subject of consultation.

A Bardon Mill couple were among those seriously injured after the terrorist attacks in Mumbai.

Keen travellers Mike and Diane Murphy, from Ridley, had only been in India for a day and were inside Leopold Cafe when terrorists stormed the building.

Mrs Murphy, who was shot in the foot, said she held her husband as he slipped out of consciousness after he was injured by a bullet in the ribs.

The retired teacher, 59, needed to have his spleen removed and last night was still in intensive care.

Thinking local helped growers land the job of supplying around 56,000 trees and shrubs to help a new bypass blend into the Northumbrian landscape.

The A69 Haydon Bridge Bypass is costing £30m and is expected to be completed by next spring.

The 1.8-mile route will relieve congestion and heavy traffic levels which Haydon Bridge residents have to endure as the A69 runs through the village.

People in Northumberland are getting good adult social care, according to a new national inspection.

The Commission for Social Care Inspection has given Northumberland's adult services department a two-star rating, and says it has "excellent capacity" for improvement.

The state of policing will be on the agenda when Haltwhistle Town Council meets on Monday.

The council - which meets at the Methodist Church Hall on Main Street at 7pm - will also consider the first steps towards developing a parish plan.

Hadrian's Wall is set for nearly 50,000 new visitors after an ad campaign in London.

Heritage bosses last night said the publicity drive in the capital had made it the North East's most recognised attraction.

People were questioned as they emerged from Tube stations in London before and after a marketing campaign woven around the major British Museum exhibition on the Emperor Hadrian, which ran for three months until October 24.

Haydon Bridge fought back from 2-0 down to force a 2-2 draw with KYPC Olympiakos in the Football Pools Trust North/East Youth Development League.

KYPC settled into the game the better and took the led when a right-wing foray from Sam Stonor ended with him unleashing a right-foot shot which thundered past the Haydon Bridge goalkeeper.

People in Northumberland are being urged to have their say on executive decision-making arrangements for the county's new super-council which takes over in April.

Consultations on the issue close on Friday so residents are being reminded to comment before it is too late.

Opponents of plans for an opencast mine near Haltwhistle will tonight outline their concerns over the project.

A public meeting is to take place in the tiny hamlet of Halton Lea Gate, near the Cumbrian border, where HM Project Developments is seeking to excavate 140,000 tonnes of coal.