Welcome to your daily look at the news in the North East.
Each morning and afternoon we'll bring you some of the latest from the North East - from breaking news and top stories to NUFC updates and the cost of living latest.
Today we bring you the news that Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service's Chief Fire Officer will retire later this year and senior North East NHS bosses have "contingency plans" in place ahead of three days of strike action from junior doctors starting today.
READ MORE: Gateshead clairvoyant who beat cancer on exposing cheating partners and mystery illnesses
We also speak to the Newcastle United fan who gave Anthony Gordon a lift home from the Metrocentre.
This is your North East Today update.
Meet the Newcastle United fan who gave Anthony Gordon a lift home from the Metrocentre
Meet Vanessa Duffy - the Newcastle United fan who gave Anthony Gordon a lift home from the Metrocentre.
The Magpies signed the 22-year-old winger from Everton for £45 million during the January transfer window. The day before he put pen to paper on January 30, he was spotted shopping in the Metrocentre in Gateshead with his partner Annie.
Vanessa, 50, and her husband Simon, 43, from Fenham, Newcastle, spotted the footballer in the yellow car park while they were waiting to pick their son Lewis, 19, up from work.
Vanessa went over to welcome Gordon to Tyneside and discovered that they were struggling to get a taxi back to the Hilton hotel on the Quayside. She offered the pair a lift and was stunned when they agreed to get in the back of their grey Ford Puma.
Lewis, who works as a sales assistant at Tessuti in the Metrocentre, couldn't believe it when he got in the front passenger seat and turned around to find Gordon and his partner sitting with Vanessa in the back.
Read the full story here.
Dramatic moment car smashes into Newcastle wall at high speed sending driver and engine flying
Dramatic CCTV footage captures the moment a car smashes into a wall at such high speed the driver and engine block were sent flying into the road.
Banned driver Dale Johnson was behind the wheel and believes he may have fallen asleep before crashing in the West End of Newcastle. He suffered numerous injuries while his passenger escaped serious harm, a court heard.
Now Johnson, who has previous convictions for driving offences, has been jailed at Newcastle Crown Court. The crash happened at 5.20am on July 11 last year on Silver Lonnen, in the West End of Newcastle.
Read the full story here.
North East NHS prepares for junior doctors strike: Bosses have 'contingency plans in place' while medics say they're 'fed up and frustrated'
Senior North East NHS figures have "contingency plans" in place ahead of three days of strike action from junior doctors starting today.
Thousands are set to walk out at hospitals across England and our region, with picket lines set to take place outside hospitals including the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle and the Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital in Cramlington. NHS bosses have, ahead of the strike action, reiterated their commitment to protecting patients from any impact, but accepted that some planned appointments and procedures will be postponed.
The three-day walkout is the longest single strike the NHS has faced in a winter that has been marked by industrial action from groups including nurses, ambulance service workers and physios.
Read the full story here.
Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service's Chief Fire Officer will retire later this year
The most senior firefighter in Tyne and Wear will retire later this year.
Chris Lowther has been keeping communities safe for 26 years and has spent more than six years as Chief Fire Officer. He announced his retirement from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) at the Fire Authority meeting on Monday.
Chris, who was born and raised in Gateshead, first joined TWFRS in 1997. He rose through the ranks before being appointed Chief Fire Officer in 2017. He has spent his entire career with the service and held a number of prominent national roles with the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC).
Read the full story here.
Newcastle have finally revealed £140m solution as 'really talented' transfer template found
Alexander Isak had just opened the scoring against Wolves when a familiar refrain rippled through St James' Park.
"We've got Bruno in the middle," Newcastle United supporters roared. "He knows exactly what we need. Botman at the back, Isak in attack, Newcastle's gonna win the Premier League!"
It's a chant we have all heard hundreds of times before - that is a conservative estimate by the way - but it felt different on Sunday. Remarkably, the 2-1 win against Wolves was the first time the trio started a game together for Newcastle.
It felt like a glimpse of Newcastle's bright future as the three poster boys of this new era lined up together. Not only are these individuals who can help get Newcastle into Europe - they will be part of the spine that will challenge for trophies in the years to come.
Read the full story here.
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