Young people are invited to get involved with a rural youth club.

Shaftoe Young Farmers' Club is looking for new members.The club is run by young people for young people and is a good way to make new friends, as well as try new things, find new challenges and learn new skills.

Members do not have to be farmers. Some club members are, but many simply live in the countryside and have connections with farming. Members range in age from 12 up to 26.

You can join Shaftoe YFC anytime or go along to the new members night on Monday, May 10 at Langley Village Hall at 7.30pm. Contact Edward Furlong on 07894 658 428 if you are interested.

Firefighters are to take part in a charity bike ride.

Officers from Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service will tour the county this bank holiday weekend on a cycle challenge.

The event - in aid of the Fire Fighters Charity and Help For Heroes - will see the firefighters tackle a 230-mile route that takes in all the fire stations in the county.

Residents have enjoyed sharing a cuppa with their local police officers.

People living in Haltwhistle talked over crime and community issues with their local Neighbourhood Policing Team at a "Cuppa with a Coppa" event at Haltwhistle Leisure Centre.

Sgt Allen Clement said: "We welcome anyone to come along to our community events and meetings. The 'Cuppa with a Coppa' meetings work well as it a less formal environment for people to speak openly of their issues and concerns within the community without feeling intimidated.

"The information we received is used to implement actions accordingly to tackle the issues raised to our attention."

A TV presenter has become the latest patron of a wildlife charity in the region.

Chris Packham is now patron of Northumberland Wildlife Trust.

As well as being the host of the BBC's Springwatch and Autumnwatch programmes, he is a respected naturalist, broadcaster and photographer.

Speaking of his appointment Chris said: "There is no better place than Northumberland - the county has some amazing sites.

Health and safety rules will stop young people across Northumberland carrying out charity work.

Youth projects and independent schools are among the organisations which have been told by the county council to stop sending youngsters on Duke of Edinburgh awards' scheme expeditions until further notice.

Council bureaucrats say they have no choice but order an immediate suspension of expedition activities.

A first aid charity staged a training event for its younger members in Northumberland.

St John Ambulance Northumbria organised the leadership training and team building weekend for 30 members at Ridley Hall, near Bardon Mill.

Businesses around Hadrian's Wall have been picking up tips to add value to visitors' experiences of the area - and hopefully, boost tourism spending in the North East. Karen Dent reports for nebusiness

As a World Heritage Site, Hadrian's Wall and the surrounding area is bang on the global tourist map. But now businesses in what is known as Hadrian's Wall Country - a corridor stretching from Wallsend in the east to Ravenglass in the west - are aiming to give them a bit more information and retain them in the region for longer.

A series of workshops have been building up business owners' knowledge of the area, from Roman culture to the geology of the Wall corridor, so they can pass that knowledge on to tourists.

On Saturday and Sunday 10am-5pm, Housesteads Roman Fort is holding a St George's Dragon Family Fun Trail. Call 01434 652220 for information or visit the English Heritage website.

Hexham St George's Day events »

A driver who killed a man in a road crash had no licence and no insurance, a court heard yesterday.

But the Northumberland court was also told that tests showed the dead man had heroin in his blood system and his vehicle was being driven erratically before the crash.

Michael Thomas Patrick Hughes is accused of causing death while driving without a licence and while uninsured, after the accident on the A69 at Bardon Mill,
Northumberland, last October.

Pensioner John Dixon proved you're never too old to stay fit and healthy.

As part of his 90th birthday celebrations, the sprightly swimmer officially declared the outdoor pools open at Haltwhistle Swimming and Leisure Centre on Saturday.

In addition to cutting the ribbon to mark the reopening, Mr Dixon was made an honorary member at the pools, enabling him to use the facilities free of charge.

Staff also presented him with a framed photograph of the pools dating back to when he first started using them.

He has been swimming there since 1976; just one year after its opening, and has seen the pools develop before his very eyes.