Football royalty descended on a Northumberland village at the weekend as former England ace Sol Campbell was married in a star-studded ceremony.

Famous names from the football world arrived at St Andrew's Church in Corbridge to witness the Arsenal defender tie the knot with local girl Fiona Barratt on Saturday.

The glitzy service was attended by football and showbiz celebrities including Chelsea's Ashley Cole and Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand.

A mass courts closure ordered by the coalition Government has been attacked by one of its own North MPs.

Hexham MP Guy Opperman, a barrister by training, said he would find it "astonishing" if the plans would work.

It comes after Justice Secretary Ken Clarke unveiled plans to close magistrates and county courts nationwide - including Bishop Auckland, Hexham, Alnwick, Blaydon, Gosforth, Houghton- le-Spring and Consett.

While more and more people are growing their own vegetables in the credit crunch, a course in Northumberland will also teach people to make their own cosmetics too.

Dilston Physic Garden in the Tyne Valley is running instruction days to allow people to find out more about making their own facial oils, massage oils and bath blends for a fraction of what it would cost to buy.

Set in a tranquil site above the Devil's Water, the contemporary garden is the brainchild of Newcastle University neuroscientist Professor Elaine Perry, pictured, who directs research into plant medicine.

Police are advising cyclists to security mark their bikes after two thefts.

The first was a silver Kona mountain bike, stolen from a Heddon garage in Hexham Road, between Tuesday July 6, and Friday 9.

Two bikes were also stolen from a shed in Station Road in Corbridge. One is orange and the other is a Ridgeback mountain bike.

Anyone with information contact police on 03456 043 043 ext 69191.

Corbridge enjoyed a last-ball victory over Bedlington to lift them out of the relegation placings in the Northumberland Premier League.

The Terriers showed plenty of bite as they notched up 203-5 in 50 overs, Paul Straker (60) and Graham Watson (60) setting the visitors' stall out with a century second-wicket partnership.

With the rain falling steadily the teams played on and Paul Newton (57) and Tristan Douglas (50) worked Corbridge into a position whereby the scores were tied with one ball of the match remaining.

A young fencer from our region has been selected to compete in the 2010 UK School Games.

The Games are being held in the North East for the first time and 17-year-old Matthew Henderson is the first local athlete to be officially announced as taking part.

Matthew from Stocksfield currently competes for Team Newcastle and will fence against the UK's school-aged elite in the men's Individual and Team Epee events.

Berwick Middle School and Ovingham Middle School stumped the opposition to claim victory in the year six mixed and girls' events at the Asda Kwik Cricket Northumberland County Finals.

The event was held a Stocksfield Cricket Club, with Berwick Middle (pictured) beating Ponteland Middle in the mixed competition final.

In the girls' decider, Ovingham Middle saw off Ponteland Middle's challenge.

Despite testing conditions, event two in the Topper National Sailing Series at Derwent Reservoir Sailing Club proved a great success.

More than 200 sailors participated in what is regarded as one of the biggest sailing events in the region.

Attracting sailors in the Topper 4.2 class from all over Britain, the event was eventually won by Reuben Murphy from Portishead SC.

Warkworth's inexorable march to the Northumberland Premier League title goes on, a six-wicket win at Stocksfield extending their huge lead by another point.

Stocksfield's decision to bat first looked to be well founded when they posted 192-9 and then had the leaders on 10-2, but that man Dan Younger did it again with an unbeaten century to keep his team flying high.

Alnmouth got themselves back on track in a run-laden match at home to Berwick. Ian Clough smacked nine fours and four sixes in a belligerent 92 that spearheaded the charge to a score of 309-5, and despite half- centuries from Martin Golightly and Rob Patterson the target proved too demanding for Berwick, who ended on 241-7.

Cruel bird-killers have poisoned a pair of rare red kites.

Police are today hunting the poisoners after tests confirmed that the endangered birds, which died in February, could have been illegally killed.

The red kites' bodies were found in the Steel area of Hexham, Northumberland.

And investigators from Northumbria Police and the RSPB believe they could have died a slow, painful death after eating poison laid down to kill vermin.