Children rolled up their sleeves and put their green fingers to the test to take part in a special tree planting.

Youngsters aged between four and 13, all from Tynedale, planted saplings on the banks of the River Derwent to celebrate the important role trees play in our natural environment.

Don Coe, Northumbrian Water leisure operations manager for waterside parks & fisheries (foreground) with Tony Richards, SCA Hygiene factory & site manager at Prudhoe (standing) with Ben Pentland, aged six and his fellow tree planters

The session was organised by Northumbrian Water, owner and operator of the Derwent Reservoir and Velvet toilet tissue, which is made locally by SCA Hygiene Products Prudhoe Mill.

A rescue mission has been launched to protect four historic landmarks.

In the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Shildon Engine House near Blanchland (pictured), Ninebanks Tower in Northumberland, Muggleswick Grange in County Durham and the remains of Whitesyke and Bentyfield Lead Mines near Alston, Cumbria, are all scheduled ancient monuments.

All four sites are currently on English Heritage's at-risk register but will be removed once the restoration work is done.

"Over time they would have crumbled and disappeared. We want to protect what remains so that we and future generations can see these legacies in the landscape of what it was like to live those past lives.

A marine engineering firm has moved one of its key facilities across the River Tyne in order to handle larger projects and increase its workforce.

IHC Engineering Business in Riding Mill, near Hexham in Northumberland, says the relocation of its manufacturing and support operations to the South bank allows it to work in deeper waters and handle larger trawler vessels.

The 7,484 sq m facility, which is based at the Port of Tyne in South Shields, safeguards the 20 jobs that were based at its former site at Hadrian Yard on the North bank of the river, with the firm looking to more than double that figure by the end of the year.

Tynedale increased their top-four National One credentials with an 11-try Stourbridge hammering in Corbridge yesterday.

Jamie Murray, Jack Harrison and Hamish Smales all grabbed a brace of tries, while Ben Marshall, Joe Graham, Gavin Beasley (pictured), Harry Peck and Andrew Hall completed the scoring.

The 71-14 victory pushed Tynedale up to fourth in the National One table, and continued their unbeaten 2010.

Despite resting several key players Tom Borthwick's men still dispatched their powerful visitors without issue, and the manner of the win leaves Tynedale primed to push even further towards the league power brokers.

The hosts only needed 10 minutes to rack up the four-try bonus point, and never slackened their pace in the quest for a superlative win.

Wildlife Minister Huw Irranca Davies has accepted a petition signed by more than 200,000 people demanding an end to the killing of birds of prey.

The petition is the largest ever collected by the RSPB.

According to the RSPB's most recent annual Birdcrime report, published last August, Northumberland is the third worst county in England for illegal persecution against birds of prey.

Families in Northumberland have been spared a 25% increase in the cost of having their garden waste collected this year following a revolt by opposition county councillors.

It was planned to put up the annual charge for the service from £20 to £25 in March - to bring in an extra £60,000 and help the county council achieve tough budget savings.

Now the saving will have to be found elsewhere after Conservative and Labour councillors joined forces to defeat the move at a meeting in County Hall on Wednesday.

Strapping agriculture student Charlie Crotty will make his Tynedale debut against Stourbridge tomorrow.

The 19-stone prop has been plying his trade for the second XV this term, but gets his chance in Corbridge for tomorrow's 2.30pm kick-off.

Tynedale rugby chairman John Shotton believes Crotty is full of potential, and has backed the new man to take the step up in his stride.

Flamenco, jazz, Gypsy and classical are just some of the ingredients of the TG Collective's heat-infused musical offering.

The six-piece band, founded by guitarists Jamie Fekete and Sam Slater, perform at Stocksfield Institute Community Association at 7.30pm on Saturday, courtesy of the Highlights Touring Scheme which takes music and theatre into rural areas.

Call 01661 842346 for ticket details.

The Northumberland art scene has grown yet again after a new contemporary gallery opened in the county.

Entrepreneur Andy Balman has opened his own contemporary galley in Corbridge.

Andy, one of the co-directors of the successful annual NewcastleGateshead Art Fair, converted a passion for the arts into a new business in the village, adding to the wider North East arts scene along with the emerging cluster of galleries in Northumberland.

The Balman Gallery has opened in the Town Hall buildings in Princes Street, after a significant part of the grade two listed Victorian building was restored.

Black ice on one of the North East's main dual carriageway caused a string of accidents today.

As commuters made their way to work along the A69 between Hexham and Newcastle, cars skidded out of control.

Drivers watched in horror as four cars slid into embankments and one even overturned.

No-one received serious injuries and the road was closed for a period of time. It started at 7.54am when a Land Rover slid off the road near Wylam. Police then received a flurry of reports from panicking drivers of a Vauxhall Corsa, a Fiat Punto and a Toyota Yaris.

All three had also skidded on black ice in separate accidents.