The Journal

R& D Sale Puts 170 Jobs at Risk

Healthy Food Set for Council Menu ; Taste

Costly Failure On East Coast Line

From Heatwave to Flash Floods in Just One Hour ; Chaos Caused As Weather Turns Nasty

FLASH flooding caused chaos over parts of the region yesterday, as bolts of lightning disrupted train services and caused a bridge to crumble. After the torrential rain swept part of the bridge away, the masonry trapped a man working nearby.

Inside Today

That's Some Beer Garden ; Axed Vaux Remembered in 'Shrine'

VERY picture tells a story. ESo does every clock, each ashtray and all 100 beer mats.

Pounds 1.4bn Cash Crisis After Franchise Hits Buffers ; East Coast Main Line: Collapse Is 'Disaster for Taxpayers'

BRITAIN faces a transport cash crisis after the pounds 1.4bn East Coast rail franchise collapsed. The Government's transport budget could suffer a pounds 700m hit following the failure of the franchise run by National Express since 2007.

A Decade of Transport Study, but Pounds 2m Is Given for New Research

THE Government is to hand over pounds 2m for a study into North East transport priorities despite a decade's-worth of research already available. Ministers at the Department for Transport want to know what the region will need in order to upgrade and improve its airports, roads, railways and ports over the next 30 years. They have asked staff at development agency One North East to examine how economic growth can be achieved at the same time as tackling climate change.

Virgin Boss Branson Waits to See How Situation Develops [ ... ]

Virgin boss Branson waits to see how situation develops SIR Richard Branson is on standby to run trains on the prestigious East Coast Main Line.

Government Postpones Royal Mail Sell-Off Plan

PART-PRIVATISATION of the Royal Mail will not go ahead as planned because of the depressed state of the economy, Business Secretary Lord Mandelson announced yesterday. Lord Mandelson told the Lords that there was "no prospect" of the sale occuring in the current economic climate.

'Unrepentant' Biggs Is Refused Parole by Straw

RONNIE Biggs has been refused parole by Justice Secretary Jack Straw, who said the Great Train Robber remained "wholly unrepentant". Mr Straw rejected a parole board recommendation that the 79-year- old be released, saying it was "unacceptable" that Biggs had fled prison and accused him of "outrageously courting the media" while on the run.

I'm Pleading with Him to Tell Me Where Keith Is ... It's the Last Time It Will Be Done

MOORS murderer Ian Brady is the last hope in finding the grave of his victim Keith Bennett after police admitted defeat in the hunt for the body. As previously unseen photos taken by Brady of Myra Hindley close to the burial sites of the couple's other four victims were released, the boy's mother begged the killer for help to find her son before she died.

Vicar Is Charged ; Britain Today: Crime

Uk Staff Released ; Britain Today: Politics

Mollie Sugden ; Britain Today: Obituary

Clean-Up Plan Suffers Defeat ; Britain Today: Politics

JUSTICE Secretary Jack Straw last night ditched a significant feature of the Government's plan to clean up Westminster following a surprise defeat in the House of Commons. A clause allowing Parliamentary proceedings to be admissible as evidence in court was defeated by a margin of just three votes, after MPs heard warnings that it would have a "chilling effect" on debate in the Commons. Former Cabinet ministers John Reid and Margaret Beckett were among 25 Labour rebels who ensured the Governm...

Where the Chaos Unfolded

REPORTS OF FLASH FLOODING ACROSS NEWCASTLE AND GATESHEAD: 3.07pm Old Durham Road and Shipcote Terrace, Gateshead. 3.28pm Benfield Road, Newcastle, near the Metro station. 3.46pm North Road, North Shields, near to the Sportsman Pub. 3.29pm The Coalhouse roundabout, Gateshead, with the northbound sliproad onto the A1 closed temporarily.

Hell On the Rails

LIGHTNING and flash flooding caused chaos for both the Metro and regional rail services yesterday. Commuters were faced with lengthy delays after torrential rain caused Metro services between Tynemouth and North Shields to be cancelled for nearly three hours. S to suspend the services during rush hour.

Flash Floods On a Sunny Day

FLASH flooding caused chaos over parts of the region yesterday, as bolts of lightning struck trains and caused a bridge to crumble. Torrential rain swept part of a bridge away and trapped a workman in a house, while terrified onlookers were forced to shelter in their cars to avoid lightning flashes.

Cash Is Stolen ; North Today: Police

POLICE are appealing for information following a burglary where a quantity of cash was taken from a South Tyneside shop. Some time between 5pm and 11pm on Saturday, June 20, burglars gained entry to the One Stop Party Shop on Finchale Road, Hebburn, and made off with their haul.