Is 'pet' a patronising term to use?

Bathing water in Cullercoats Bay is rated "poor", but locals say it "never causes a problem".

A shark sighting during a Farne Islands boat tour brings joy to passengers.

A rapper from Whitley Bay represents the North East at Reading & Leeds Festival.

A photographer captures stunning footage of the full supermoon above Dunstanburgh Castle.

"To get it out into the ocean...a dream come true. A small dream but, you know, some kind of dream."

Eleven-year-old Taye has been drawing and painting ever since he could hold a brush.

Frankie, a Belgian Malinois, has been with Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service since 2018.

The conservation group trap and kill invasive grey squirrels, to protect the native reds.

The HoodEx charity runs a clothing programme and boxing gym to help reduce the risk of offending.

Trampolines and teacher-student dance battles are used to support pupils with ADHD in Wallsend.

Hayley Watson ventures out most nights to protect migrating toads from traffic.

Quadriplegic surfer Jimmy Simpson has his sights set on the English Adaptive Surfing Championships.

The therapeutic companion has captured the hearts of residents at Riverside House Care Home in Morpeth.

Members of the club say it offers an important space for them to share their hobby and chat.

Charity Smile For Life has recently celebrated the first birthday of its Café Beam at Ouseburn Farm.

Two 18-year-olds are jailed for killing 14-year-old Gordon Gault with a machete.

Yogendran Mutthulingham has been the victim of racist abuse at his Jarrow convenience store.

A rundown Whitley Bay scout hut is being revamped by the community after a BBC local radio appeal.

It's a game with virtually no rules and no referee, and the first team to score twice wins.

Two out of three raccoons have been caught and returned home, but one - Meeko - remains at large.