The north’s mini tour for junior golfers goes from strength to strength – with more events and new sponsors for 2016.

The competition is now in its eighth year and features a string of qualifying events in Durham, Cumbria and Northumberland before the leading players from each area take part in the end of season regional finale.

Last year it was the team from Durham that emerged triumphant at Carus Green GC in Cumbria.

This year’s competition is being backed by lead sponsor Macdonald Hotels & Resorts, with further support from junior golf clothing company Chinny Dipper.

The 2016 schedule includes an additional qualifying round and entries are now open.

Qualifying events are played out over nine holes, which gives the next generation of players competitive experience over a series of different courses.

The competitions are open to boys between the ages of eight and 12 with girls also able to play up to the age of 13.

Each round is split into different age and ability categories, with novice players using forward tees and adapted rules.

Each of the five rounds costs £6 each – although if all five are entered together

the entrance fee is just £25. The sponsors are providing prizes for the overall winners.

The Northumberland qualifying events are:

Sunday, April 24 at Alnmouth GC (2pm).

Sunday, May 15 at Morpeth GC (2pm).

Sunday, June 19 at Ponteland GC (2pm).

Sunday, July 24 at Allendale GC (2pm).

Sunday, August 7: at Arcot Hall GC (2pm).

This year’s final takes place a Macdonald Linden Hall GC in Northumberland on Sunday, September 4.

Jason Budd, England Golf Regional Officer said: “This Junior Tour is an ideal introduction to competitive golf for younger players and we are grateful for the support of new backers Macdonalds Hotel & Resorts, and Chinny Dipper.

“The international hotel group has been extremely impressed by how the Tour provides more opportunities for younger players to participate in a fun and competitive environment across the region, opening up a pathway from grass roots golfer to elite level.

“Players of different ages and abilities can all take part – even those new to the sport.

“Competing on different courses against players of a similar ability is a great way for the young players to develop their golfing skills and test themselves against their peers.

“I would also like to thank all the host venues and volunteers for their support in making the Tour such a success.”

He added: “We are pleased to announce that specialist clothing company, Chinny Dipper, are also supporting us in 2016 and are already involved in a number of junior tours across the country.”

Last year more than 160 took part in the competition.

For more visit www.northumberlandcgp.co.uk or contact county development officer Paul Whittaker on 07949 566122 on cdonorthumberland@yahoo.com

Cinema-goers in Morpeth will this weekend have the chance to see the multi-award winning movie that tells the moving story of physicist Stephen Hawking’s battle against motor neurone’s disease whilst undertaking an ambitious study of time.

Touchingly played by actor Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything recalls how Stephen Hawking met and fell in love in the 1960s with fellow Cambridge University student Jane Wilde (Felicity Jones).

The Theory of Everything can be seen tomorrow night (Friday, April 8) at Morpeth Community Cinema in the Town Hall starting at 7pm.

Tickets cost £6 and you will be available to buy them on the door.

A cordon was put in place in Morpeth town centre on Tuesday after reports of a man on a roof.

Police were called to Morpeth Town Hall, in Market Place, at 6.32pm following reports of concern for a man.

Officers attended and the cordon was put in place, while traffic was diverted as a precaution. A Northumbria Police spokeswoman said that a police negotiator spoke with the man who then came down from the roof by 8.25pm and the road was re-opened.

A trailer was stolen from a farm in Widdrington between 11pm on Sunday, and 9.30am on Monday.

It was an Ifor Williams flat bed twin axle 12ft x 6ft, model LM 126.

Anyone with information about the theft can call police on 101 and quote reference number 246 040416.

A collection of unique artwork is being showcased in Northumberland and Newcastle with all proceeds to charity.

Leighton Clark, from Morpeth, will be showing his work at Felton’s Gallery 45 and Newcastle Central Library in aid of Parkinson’s UK.

Photography, prints and unique box constructions will be on display at both exhibitions, with work on show at Gallery 45 until April 14.

Keen artist Leighton said: “A couple of years ago, I got the creative urge again.

“I changed direction from ceramics and video to photography, print making and box construction.

“It wasn’t long before the house was full of prints and boxes.

“Then my wife was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, so I decided to exhibit my work and donate all profits to Parkinson’s UK to help find better treatments and a cure.”

Leighton has also set up a website where artwork can be browsed and bought, with all the profits going to Parkinson’s UK – leightonclarkprints.co.uk

Leighton has already sold two pieces of artwork to customers in Australia, so his work is becoming a global success.

Abby Robinson, Regional Fundraiser for the North East and Cumbria at Parkinson’s UK, said: “Thank you so much to Leighton for his unique fundraising idea and donating all his profits to help us find better treatments and a cure faster. I’d like to wish him the very best of luck with his exhibitions and I hope that people will view his artwork, whether at the exhibitions or online.

“As the UK’s Parkinson’s support and research charity we’re leading the work to find a cure, and we’re closer than ever. But our work is dependent on donations.”

Leighton is aiming to raise £2,000 for Parkinson’s UK.

As well as sales, he is also raising money through sponsorship and has set up a justgiving page at www.justgiving.com/Leighton-Clark

The exhibition in Newcastle runs from August 4 to 25.

Judo students from two local clubs took part in an All England Judo Federation Northern Regional Grading event in Morpeth.

The clubs, Ronin Judo Club from Morpeth and Shugendo Judo Club from Cramlington, attended the event in the Riverside Leisure Centre, where grading was conducted by Chris Dawson 7th Dan, Juneille Smith 7th Dan, and John Hall 5th Dan.

The following students from the Ronin Judo Club were successful: juniors Ryan Johnson 6th kyu san, Daragh Moody 5th kyu, Aiden Moody 5th kyu ichi, Maddie Smith 5th kyu ichi, Bruce Smith 5th kyu ni, Nathan Mercel 5th kyu san, Joe Oliver 4th kyu, Eloise Barras 4th kyu ichi, Lucas Oliver 4th kyu ichi, Matthew Welsh 4th kyu ichi, Charlotte Irwin 4th kyu ni, Barney Hay 4th kyu ni, Harris Heaton 3rd kyu ni, Jack Rickeard 3rd kyu san, Max Bedi 2nd kyu, and seniors Martin Armstrong 5th kyu, Anthony Welsh 3 kyu, Mark Oliver 1st kyu.

The following students from the Shugendo Judo Club were successful: Georgia Farrier 5th kyu ichi, Aaron Laidlaw 5th kyu ichi, Holly Irwin 5th kyu ni, Jack Jeffery 4th kyu ichi.

Students from Wallsend’s Bushido Judo Kwai all took part in the grading.

Police have arrested a 31-year-old woman following two burglaries in Ponteland.

Between 8.30pm on Tuesday and 4.45am on Wednesday, police received two reports of burglaries in Merton Way.

Inquiries were carried out and the woman was arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods. She has been released on bail pending further inquiries.

Stolen goods including an Apple Mac computer and electrical tools have been recovered.

Inquiries into the burglaries are ongoing and anyone with information to help is asked to contact police on 101 quoting reference 109 06/04/16.

A mum has organised a silent disco in aid of the chairty which supported her son before he died.

Annabel Littlewood has arranged the event in aid of St Oswald’s Hospice Gosforth, in memory of her son, Thomas, who accessed St Oswald’s Children’s and Young Adult’s services for respite care, from 2007-2010.

The silent disco will honour one of Thomas’ favourite things to do, dancing and listening to music.

Don’t Panic steel band, from the Sage Gateshead, will be entertaining on the night and adding a touch of Caribbean dance to the disco.

The silent disco will take place tomorrow from 7pm to 11.30pm at The Portland, Ashington.

Ticket cost £6 and are available from Annabel on 07799 584 274 and on the night.

The candidates standing for election as the next Northumbria Area Police and Crime Commissioner were announced today.

The deadline for nominations closed at 4pm. The candidates are Vera Baird, Labour, Newcastle; Stewart Thomas Hay, Conservative, Whitley Bay; Melanie Hurst, Ukip, Stocksfield; and Jonathan Charles Wallace, Liberal Democrat, Sunniside, Newcastle.

It is the second time that voters in the Northumbria Police force area have gone to the polls for a commissioner. The first commissioner election was held in November 2012.

The election is being held as voters across the area also go to the polls for local government elections in Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, which is also holding a Mayoral Referendum; South Tyneside and Sunderland. In Northumberland, voters have a stand-alone election for the police commissioner.

There are 1,035,492) registered electors in the Northumbria Police area, including 323,155 postal voters.

Polling day is Thursday, May 5, and the result will be announced in Sunderland the following day.

Anyone who has not yet registered to vote should contact their council's electoral services team immediately or apply online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
The deadline to register to vote for the May police and local elections is Monday, April 18.

The Northumbria Police area returning officer Sue Stanhope said: "If you want to vote at the local elections or the Police and Crime Commissioner election and are not already on the Electoral Register, you have until Monday, April 18, to apply."

The eagerly awaited scheme to help homeowners living in high flood risk areas secure more affordable insurance on their properties came into force last Monday (April 4).

Flood Re, as the scheme is known, is a world first and has been launched by the Association of British Insurers (ABI). It has been a while in the making, which in many ways is understandable because the people behind the scheme have said all along that they wanted to get it right first time.

As James Dalton, Director of General Insurance Policy at ABI, has been quoted as saying: “People in flood risk areas not being able to access affordable cover was a major concern and why the insurance industry has gone to great lengths to design and create this world-first solution. It is great to see so many insurers being ready to make use of Flood Re from its launch.

“Monday was just the start of the process and we know more providers will join them over time, bringing even more choice for people with homes at risk of flooding.”

I can only echo Mr Dalton’s words and welcome the fact that the industry has responded in what it is hoped will turn out to be such a positive way to address the concerns and worries of literally thousands of people whose homes have been flooded, hopefully including those in Morpeth.

Those of us who have never had to suffer such a misfortune can only speculate as to what a traumatic experience that must be. To have your home and treasured belongings ruined by flood waters, and then have to live in temporary accommodation while the damage is repaired, must be truly devastating.

But then to be faced with the prospect of having to find thousands of pounds to pay insurance premiums, topped by an unrealistic excess on whatever policy they were quoted, must have seemed like the last straw.

I know from correspondence and dialogue with constituents facing such a dilemma that it has been the situation many local people have found themselves in after their homes have been under water on more than one occasion, or indeed in some cases, not flooded at all.

One lady told me she was being quoted more than £3,500 for her policy, with more than double that as an excess payment. For many people that is simply an unaffordable payment, which is why they choose not to take out insurance, only to be faced with the crippling consequences when their homes were eventually flooded.

If there are postcode anomalies which are penalising householders then these need to be ironed out as a matter of urgency.

Since I became Wansbeck MP I have taken every opportunity both inside the House of Commons debating chamber, as well as to lobby ministers and responsible officials, to press for fairer insurance offers for householders in flood risk areas around Morpeth.

At the time of writing this column, however, some concerns were being expressed to me as to whether Morpeth fully met the criteria for local householders to be able to benefit from the scheme.

Recently, I reminded Rory Stewart, Under Secretary for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, during a Commons’ debate, that whilst Morpeth now has a Rolls Royce flood defence system, we are still having problems with insurance companies quoting excessively high premiums and blaming the Environment Agency for not updating its data regarding the town.

He assured me that through Flood Re lower rate, taxpayers’ insurance premiums would be more affordable and excesses would be capped at £250, and that British insurance brokers would also have access to packages containing more specialised and precise mapping data.

Clearly it is early days, but I will be monitoring the situation along the River Wansbeck as it flows through Morpeth, and would like to hear from any homeowners still facing insurance problems.

Next week I happen to have a meeting with Mr Stewart and I will be seeking clarification that Flood Re will apply to Morpeth. If for some reason he tells me it does not, I will vigorously press for the town to be included in the scheme.

The entry criteria for Flood Re appears to refer to properties in ‘high risk areas’ and I will be seeking clarification that Morpeth continues to fall into that category, despite the completion last year of the £26million flood protection defences. It appears that some insurers may have different interpretations as to what ‘high risk’ actually means.

The association is saying it expects around 350,000 households to benefit from the effects of Flood Re, and we need to know once and for all whether Morpeth homes are included in that figure.

In the meantime, it is advising people to shop around for insurance products to ensure they have the policy that best suits their needs. It adds that householders should not focus purely on price, but advises them to look closely at the cover being offered to them as well.

As a helpful guide, there is lot of information about the scheme, as well as a list of insurers preparing to use it, on the Flood Re website, which also includes an online broker finding service.

It is also worth remembering that householders won’t deal directly with Flood Re, but will still purchase insurance in the way they have always done in the past. Flood Re is not a home insurer itself, but will work behind the scenes with existing insurance companies.

It sounds complicated, but ought to work in favour of homeowners living in areas at high risk of flooding.

What the scheme definitely does not do is cover commercial properties, even though that property may be someone’s home, such as a bed-and-breakfast, or new homes, and that is something we must continue to press for.

Of course, securing more affordable insurance premiums for householders is vitally important, but what we must also do as a nation is to find new ways of preventing flooding, affecting so many properties in the first place.

The past winter months have again dramatically highlighted the scale of the problem, with many households across the country suffering as a result of flooding.

Mercifully, the work done by the Environment Agency to protect Morpeth, with the invaluable financial support of Northumberland County Council, prevented a repeat of the devastating floods we have seen in the past. So many other areas did not escape so lightly, however, and everything must be done to reduce the frequency and severity of flooding incidents across Britain.

MP Guy Opperman joined other cyclists to test-ride a two-day version of a 120-mile route from the west to the north of the county at the weekend.

The Sandstone Way is a mountain-bike route from Berwick to Hexham, passing through the likes of Wooler, Rothbury, Bellingham and a number of smaller villages and rural hamlets, which was opened last March.

Seven members of Tyne Valley VMTB Cycling Club, plus Michael (guest rider on Saturday) and Paul (guest rider on Sunday), were joined by the MP on both days to attempt the new two-day version, all very well supported by Geoff, driving a hired minibus.

Saturday saw the group go from Tyne Green in the west of the county to Rothbury, before heading further north on Sunday, arriving in Berwick at 6pm.

On Saturday, the weather was poor and worsened, which slowed the group down.

Sunday dawned fair and improved as the hours passed, but the group did have to leap-frog the route by a few miles in the minibus on both days.

Sandstone Way creator and co-ordinator, Ted Liddle, said: “It was a tough, very enjoyable two days linking many attractive locations, amazing views and remote places on a wide range of tracks, bridleways, byways, packhorse trails, ancient highways and old unsurfaced county roads.

“Collectively, we spent about £1,200 over the two days, of which £985 was spent in nine different communities along the route.

“Without paying customers, these businesses will close and the rural communities they belong to will slowly die.”

Thanks were given to Simonburn Tea Room; Fountain Cottage Café, Bellingham; Tomlinson’s Café and Bunkhouse, Rothbury; Valley Cottage Tearoom, Ingram; Chillingham Castle tearoom; and The Granary Bistro, Berwick, which ‘all supplied excellent nosh and a great welcome’.

Ted said that the key lessons he learned, or was reminded of, are that the Sandstone Way is harder than you would think, refreshment stops are hugely important and to ride the two-day version, low numbers are best and the conditions need to be favourable.

Visit the website – www.sandstoneway.co.uk – for more information about the route.

We all worry occasionally, and sometimes with good reason. Problems start when worrying gets out of hand.

Anxiety and worry are closely linked. Anxiety can manifest itself in different forms and excessive worrying is one of them. Ironically, this worrying leads to more anxiety and people end up in a vicious cycle.

Feelings, even unpleasant ones, serve a purpose. Anxiety, panic, and worry are all part of the way humans experience fear. Each involves the anticipation of danger or threat. Anxiety is a normal, emotional alarm response to the anticipation of danger, and worry stimulates us to find a solution to a problem.

People worry to a different degree, but in general, if our quality of life is compromised by constant worrying and we seem to be on alert all the time, then it’s time to do something about it.

Worriers will often report symptoms of difficulty going to sleep or staying asleep because of an over-active mind, muscle tension, poor concentration, stomach cramps and irritability. Each of these alone can impact quality of life, but worriers tend to experience more than one and this can make life really difficult.

How do we stop the cycle? The long-term solution is to understand the underlying factors of your anxiety so that you can reduce stress.

In the short-term, there are strategies that can help address the symptoms. Practice relaxation exercises daily. Breathing exercises are particularly helpful. This will help stop your racing mind and reduce muscle tension. It is important to practice as often as possible.

If the main problem is worrying in the night, keeping a notepad by the bed and writing down your worries may help. You can then rationally think through solutions during the day without losing valuable sleep time.

Anna Dallavalle is a counsellor working with individuals and couples and has a private practice in Morpeth. For information visit www.steppingstonesne.co.uk

The second series of Air Ambulance ER will broadcast at 9pm on Monday nights on Sky One.

The Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) operates across the North-East, North Yorkshire and Cumbria and filming took place last summer at both the charity's bases - at Durham Tees Valley Airport, near Darlington, and at Langwathby, near Penrith.

The first episode features the rescue of a tree surgeon from the banks of Windermere and a young man struck by a car in Eaglescliffe, near Stockton-on-Tees.

Rescues featured on the remaining five episodes will include a motorcyclist given a blood transfusion in the back of the helicopter in Spennymoor, County Durham; a man kicked in the stomach by a horse near Coniston; and the team encountering an angry bull while treating a farmer in Blackford, Carlisle.

Mandy Drake, head of fund-raising at GNAAS, said: "We got so much positive feedback from the last series. Above all it's just a chance to show what we do. The helicopter is obviously a life-saving piece of machinery but it's the expertise of the crew on board who make the difference day-in-day-out. We can't wait to see the new episodes and hope the public enjoy them as well."

Angela Smith, production executive for Tern Television, the makers of the series, said: "It's been a real privilege working with the Great North Air Ambulance Service again. We are really proud of the finished series and are looking forward to everyone seeing it."

GNAAS is entirely dependent on donations to survive as it does not receive funding from the government. Last year it flew 818 missions across the region, including the rescues of 59 children.

Mark John McKinney, 40, Netherwitton, Morpeth, was killed in a collision between a white Kia Optima and an HGV. The incident happened last Friday afternoon between Longframlington and Longhorsley.

Emergency services attended and Mr McKinney, who was the driver of the car, was pronounced dead at the scene. A male passenger was taken to hospital by air ambulance, but his injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.

The A697 was closed for four hours to allow officers to investigate the incident and recover the vehicles involved.

The collision happened on the southbound carriageway, 300 metres south of the C135 road to Todburn, and police were alerted at around 4.50pm. They are still appealing for any witnesses to the incident. Anyone with information should call police on 101, quoting reference 754 01/04/16.

The incident has prompted county councillor Glen Sanderson, ward member for Longhorsley, to make renewed calls to improve safety along the A697.

A paedophile who kidnapped and raped an 11-year-old girl after grabbing her off the street as she walked home was branded the "living embodiment of every parent's worst nightmare," as he was jailed.

Paul Ripley, 53, originally from the North East, abducted the terrified youngster in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire on a winter's night last year, Chester Crown Court heard.

The girl was near her house walking from a friend's home around 7pm last November 7 when Ripley pulled up in his car, bundled her into the passenger seat and drove off.

A witness heard a girl scream and a car drive off at speed and as her frantic parents searched the streets and called police, Ripley drove the girl hundreds of miles north, before pulling into a field.

There he raped her twice then wrapped duct tape over her mouth and eyes before abandoning her in a village near Darlington in the early hours of the morning.

She flagged a passing taxi down, telling the driver: "I don't know where I am. I've been raped..."

But police were quickly able to trace Ripley's silver Hyundai car as it drove back south to Cheshire, arresting Ripley on the M6 in Lancashire, within hours of the attack.

The defendant's DNA was recovered from the girl and Ripley admitted two counts of rape, kidnap and dangerous driving at an earlier hearing.

Today he was given an extended sentence on licence, meaning he will serve between 10 and 16 years in jail before parole depending on an assessment of his dangerousness and be on licence under supervision for 24 years in all.

Ripley, originally from the Darlington area but living in Ellesmere Port at the time, showed no emotion as he was sentenced.

Judge Nicholas Woodward told him: "This must have been a harrowing ordeal where you specifically targeted a vulnerable child for your own sexual gratification.

"Children's freedom in modern society is affected by the concern caused by people like you.

"You are a very dangerous man, that is to say you present a significant risk to members of the public.

"In short, you are the living embodiment of every parent's worst nightmare."

Police say Ripley, who had 27 previous convictions but none for anything so serious before and none for the last 13 years, has not been forensically linked to any unsolved sex attacks.

Anya Horwood, prosecuting, told the court the girl had been warned to be home by 7pm and when she did not return her parents went to search for her.

They called police after discovering she had left her friend's house hours before.

At 2am police called from County Durham to say she was alive and now safe - but had been sexually assaulted.

Fifty minutes earlier taxi driver Peter Koldoziej saw the distressed girl waving her arms running towards him, saying: "I've been raped in a car and I don't know where I am."

At Darlington Police Station she told police how she had been abducted and raped before being abandoned.

She gave a description of the car and police checked motorway computer monitoring systems for any vehicles that had been in both the Ellesmere Port and Darlington areas in the previous hours, and identified a single car - Ripley's vehicle.

Around 3.40am Ripley was stopped on the M6 near Leyland, Lancashire, after hitting a police car at speed and crashing into barriers on both sides of the motorway.

He told police: "It doesn't matter, I've done it all," then refused to answer questions.

The girl is still undergoing counselling. In a statement to the court, her mother said: "I can only imagine what my daughter went through that night. The pain, confusion, panic and fear.

"What that man did to her that night has changed her and changed me forever.

"I can't and never will understand what drives a human being to do what he did.

"The thought is disgusting, it makes my skin crawl."

Daniel Prowse, mitigating, said the offence was "in effect out of character" as Ripley's last conviction was more than a decade ago and none for anything so serious.

He added that the defendant had suffered the, "terrible trauma of extreme neglect" during his childhood.

A county councillor is calling for ‘clarity and an explanation’ in relation to work along the A1, which has been causing ‘significant delays’ to motorists for more than a month.

The traffic controls on the single-carriageway have been in place since Monday, February 22, limiting part of the stretch to one lane near the Tritlington/Ulgham turn-off to the north of Morpeth.

The work, to construct two new bus lay-bys, is set to be completed by Saturday, April 16, but it has led to lengthy queues for motorists.

Now, Coun Glen Sanderson, ward member for Longhorsley, wants to know more about the scheme, including the justification for the work.

He intends to ask questions at full council on Wednesday, wanting to find out the cost of the scheme to the taxpayer, how many bus passengers use the stops, if any injuries/accidents have been caused solely by buses stopping at these two locations and who was consulted. Coun Sanderson said: “There have been very significant delays and disruption caused to traffic because of the roadworks, which have also forced motorists to use alternative routes, like the dangerous A697.

“These works have not been as a result of road repairs or junction safety or widening improvements. The cause has been to provide two lay-bys for the occasional use of service buses. While everyone would applaud initiatives to increase the use of public transport, there appears to be a serious issue of value for money in this Highways England scheme.

“I’m not pointing the finger of blame, but I think people need to have clarity and an explanation about these works.

“It’s worrying that this money is being spent on this stretch of road which is earmarked for dualling – what does this say about the timescale of the dualling project and why are we spending cash on what could become a defunct bit of road?”

A Highways England spokeswoman said the work ‘will improve safety, provide better facilities for passengers using buses and reduce congestion by removing stationary buses from the A1’.

She added: “We remain committed to dualling the existing single carriageway sections between Morpeth and Ellingham which includes at Tritlington, as set out in our delivery plan. These new bus lay-bys improve safety and journey times as we develop proposals for dualling ahead of consultation later this year.”

Traffic signals had been in operation 24 hours a day, but work will now only take place from 8pm to 6am until completion of the lay-by scheme.

A county council spokeswoman said: “Inquiries should be made to Highways England because it is their scheme. The cabinet member for local services will respond to Coun Sanderson’s questions at Wednesday’s meeting.”

Leeds Building Society’s branch in Morpeth held a charity coffee morning for Daft as a Brush – a local charity which works to provide transport for people with cancer to and from hospital for their visits free of charge.

The event was a success, with staff and customers in the branch baking cakes and serving coffee.

The amount raised was £291 and customer service advisor Verena Harrigan recently handed over the money to charity representatives.

A Northumberland couple, whose son was treated for a rare brain tumour, have already surpassed their 2016 target for a regional charity.

In just three months, Amy and Alex Fawcett, of Stannington, have raised more than £11,000 for the North of England Children’s Cancer Research Fund (NECCR). They had set out to bring in £11,000 by the end of the year.

The self-confessed ‘un-sporty’ couple, along with family and friends, are taking part in a series of tough sporting challenges. These are being supplemented by a few fund-raising events, such as princesses and superheroes family fun afternoon in Stannington Village Hall that took place in January.

The treatment for Joseph, now aged three, included 11 bouts of chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant that spanned the course of seven months.

Amy said: “There has been overwhelming support for the appeal. When we first started, we had so many people asking what they could do to help and from then on we’ve been overrun with donations and people creating their own events to raise even more money.

“It really has become its own network of people coming to help and we couldn’t be more grateful.

“Knowing that Joseph has so much support is a lovely thought for our family – and he loves the attention.

“His story has obviously touched many people and it makes us want to work even harder to raise as much money as possible.”

The couple, both 34, ran the Morpeth 11k and Alex participated in the Abu Dhabi Triathlon. Either separately or together, they will do the Edinburgh Marathon, Tough Mudder Midlands challenge and Great North Run, among others, between now and the end of the year.

Joseph was just eight months old when he was diagnosed with an atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumour in July of 2013. During his treatment, he spent only a handful of nights at home with his mum and dad, spending most of his time in hospital.

Amy said: “The doctors and nurses on the paediatric oncology ward were absolutely incredible and made our time in hospital as comfortable as possible, and whenever Joseph goes back to hospital for his regular scans and check-up appointments, they’re always so pleased to see the progress he’s made.

“Joseph’s treatment was a success and thankfully there have been no signs of his cancer returning.

“He has a scan coming up soon and all being well, this will mark his two-year anniversary of being cancer free.

“The treatment has affected Joseph in other ways – he’s suffered loss of hearing and damage to his immune system. But despite that, Joseph is doing very well. He attends nursery two days a week and enjoys playing with his two-year-old brother, William.”

Janet Price, fund-raiser for the NECCR, said: “The achievement that has been made by the Fawcett family is absolutely incredible.”

For more on Joseph’s story and the fund-raising progress, visit http://josephsappeal.co.uk and to make a donation, visit www.justgiving.com/teams/josephsappeal

Stephen Henderson Ramshaw, 40 and from Ashington, has not been seen since Monday. He is described as 5ft 9inches tall, of slim build, with a pale complexion, short black hair which is balding on the top and black facial hair/stubble.

Concern was raised for Stephen after his family had not heard from him. He is often known to camp out in a tent between the QE2 Country Park and Ashington Community Woodland.

Officers are keen to locate Stephen so they can ensure he is safe and well and would ask anyone who has seen him or has information about where he may be to contact police on 101, quoting reference 326 070416.

A musical treat is in store for concert-goers to support a talented young harpist continue with her studies.

Morpeth girl Deborah Snowdon and her musical friends will present an evening of folk and classical music at St George’s United Reformed Church in Morpeth on Saturday, April 16.

The event has been arranged to help fund an orchestral harp for Deborah to continue her studies at Edinburgh University, where she is at present in her first year majoring in music.

Deborah, who is also an advanced pianist, is a former student of King Edward VI High School (KEVI) and has performed on numerous occasions in the area both as a soloist and a member of the Northumbrian Ranters.

Friends performing with Deborah include fiddle players Scott Martin and Peter Sloan, both KEVI sixth formers; James Bell (baritone) a former KEVI student whose family has been very involved in music and dance at the Morpeth Gathering and Georgina MacDonell Finlayson (violin and piano) who is also reading music at Edinburgh University.

Also supporting Deborah will be her Godparents, Pamela and Richard Wallhead (piano).

At present Deborah plays a clarsach harp, more at home with folk music, but its range is not suitable for the more demanding repertoire she will need to master in order to continue at orchestral level.

This will require the purchase of a pedal harp which will cost a minimum of £10,000.

Deborah and her brother are supported solely by their mother, a maths teacher at AshingtonHigh School, and she realises that much hard work will be needed in order to raise the funds needed to buy such an instrument.