Sam Volpe

A C-Aware cancer awareness event run by the Fisherman's Mission and Macmillan, in partnership with the Cedarwood Trust, brought screening, prevention and healthy-lifestyle information to residents of Meadow Well in North Shields. GPs, NHS staff, North Tyneside Council, smoking-cessation and substance-use services supported the event, which also included community activities. Organizers hope the outreach will reduce barriers and stigma, increase screening uptake and help detect cancers earlier.

Two-year-old Finley Robson from Chester-le-Street, who was diagnosed with the rare and aggressive brain cancer atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor at 13 months, has completed surgery, chemotherapy and other intensive treatment, with his cancer currently stable but a high risk of relapse. Travel companies And Breathe Travel and Ocean Florida have arranged a heavily discounted holiday to Florida, including Disney and Universal stays, direct flights and special extras. The family still needs public donations to cover significant remaining costs, particularly specialist travel insurance linked to Finley’s illness, so they can create lasting memories together.

Tina Roche, a 69-year-old South Tyneside woman living with fibromyalgia, is supporting Health Equals’ Shelf Life campaign after her husband Philip died from cancer just days before retirement. The campaign highlights stark regional and local life-expectancy differences, including an 11-year gap within South Tyneside and a disparity between affluent London areas and Blyth Cowpen. Roche argues that community support and action on housing, employment, education and other underlying determinants of health are essential. Health Equals is calling on the UK Government to make reducing health inequalities a responsibility across departments.

New Health Equals analysis reveals severe geographic disparities in life expectancy across England, with the North East among the worst-affected regions. Life expectancy varies by as much as 18 years between local areas, including a 13-year gap within Newcastle and a 16-year gap in County Durham. Women’s healthy life expectancy is also nearly 30 years lower in some North East communities than in affluent London areas. Health Equals is urging the Government to make reducing health inequalities a legal duty across departments.

The Set For Life draw on August 24 offered a top prize of £10,000 per month for 30 years and a second prize of the same monthly amount for one year. The winning numbers were 19, 11, 28, 38 and 43, with Life Ball 9. No second draw was scheduled for Monday; EuroMillions and Thunderball were due to return on Tuesday.

PC Tom Clough, a Cleveland Police armed response officer, was killed alongside colleague PC Matthew Blades and five members of the public when a Volkswagen Passat travelling the wrong way on the A66 near Middlesbrough collided with their vehicle. Former boss Richard Clark praised Clough's professionalism, dedication, humour and ability to lift colleagues' spirits, while Civil Nuclear Constabulary Chief Constable Simon Chesterman offered condolences to the victims' families and the wider policing community. Clough had previously served with the Civil Nuclear Constabulary at Sellafield from 2013 to 2018.

Four of the five men who died in a VW Passat travelling the wrong way on the A66 had previous convictions, according to information from Cleveland Police. Cole Worthy, Makai Saddington, Theo Rae and Jakub Matusiak had pleaded guilty to offences including assaults on police officers, theft, drug and weapons possession, and driving offences; Michael Robert Cahill had no previous convictions. The crash also killed Cleveland Police officers Matthew Blades and Tom Clough. The Independent Office of Police Conduct said the police pursuit had been aborted before the Passat collided with the marked armed response vehicle. Cleveland Police said 12 people had been arrested in the wider investigation, including on suspicion of firearm and organised-crime offences.

Louise Temple, a 39-year-old mother from Sunniside, is campaigning for maternity guidance to require closer, personalised assessment when women with a previous stillbirth report reduced fetal movements. Her two most recent babies, Cruze in 2023 and Pandora in March 2026, were stillborn; Pandora had Down syndrome and a condition requiring surgery after birth. Temple has launched a petition, a campaign page and a charity fundraiser, while Gateshead MP Mark Ferguson has raised the issue with Department of Health and Social Care colleagues.

Five cars collided on the Felling Bypass near Gateshead International Stadium shortly before 2:20pm on August 24, leaving a woman in her 40s with injuries not believed to be life-threatening. One vehicle overturned, and the driver of another car fled on foot before police arrived. Northumbria Police are investigating the cause, searching for the driver and appealing for witnesses, particularly anyone with dash-cam footage. Park Road was closed while the vehicles were recovered, and the injured woman was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital.