Ian Rochester, who served as an Army avionics technician during the Gulf War, originally spotted a gap in the market for a cycle hire business five years ago, when guests staying at one of his holiday cottages made enquiries.

He started Pedal Power Cycle Hire in Amble with just 10 cycles and now has more than 40 of all shapes and sizes.

Northumberland Foods, based at Amble, was given a £1.5m emergency loan last August to stave off closure with the recession threatening its 190 jobs.

The package included £960,000 from the Royal Bank of Scotland and £250,000 from Northumberland County Council.

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.

Previous issues of the Golden Guide have gone down so well with the over-50s that there was a waiting list for the latest 5,000-copy print run.

The free booklet, which is produced by community information specialists Clever Clogs Publishing in partnership with Age Concern Northumberland, the county council and care trust, has also been given a new design.

Students from Ashington Community High School went along to Hauxley nature reserve with Alex Lister, Northumberland Wildlife Trust's estates officer - but they got a lot more than they bargained for on the trip.

From left: Chay Park, Tony Hall (Ashington Community High School), James Short, Shaun Smith, Judie McCourt (PPL), Alex Lister (Northumberland Wildlife Trust), Sam Alderson, Jamie Skelsey and David Brack

People's Postcode Lottery street prize presenter Judie McCourt had donned her union jack wellies and travelled to the reserve to present a huge cheque to Alex - who gladly received it on behalf of the wildlife charity.

We are running two presentations at 11.30am and 1.30pm, followed by the opportunity to discuss, with our experienced staff, the job vacancies and career prospects in further detail.

For further information on our Recruitment Fair and our other opportunities available or for an application pack call the HR & Training Team on 0845 140 00 88.

The white-beaked dolphin is a little studied species which occurs around the coast of the UK and is vulnerable to the effects of global warming.

It lives in the cold waters of the northern Atlantic and its available habitat is thought to be shrinking.

The Liberal Democrat MP was revealed to have claimed expenses for cleaning his home, laundry, a new television and kitchen equipment when the furore over expenses broke.

He was also listed as claiming around £1,200 a month in rent on average.

The Scamnesty 2010 campaign runs from February 1 to 26 and will involve people dropping mail scams they receive through their letterbox into designated Scamnesty boxes which will be placed across Northumberland.

Online scams can also be reported via the virtual Scamnesty bin at www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/scamnesty.

The event at the Wellwood Arms in Amble, Northumberland, featured local bands Life Crisis, Mudsharks and The Range.

Wellwoodstock was organised by Tim Fairbridge and Ian Fairbairn.

Every year since 1991, scores of leather-clad motorcyclists have taken part in the annual Easter Egg run organised by the Northumberland Bikers' club.

They collected thousands of chocolate eggs donated by customers at various pubs and clubs and then set off in a huge motorbike convoy to deliver them to children and elderly people in hospitals and homes across Northumberland and Tyneside.

Sir Alan raised the issue after the Government praised farmers for their public-spirited help while at the same time warning they could not use red diesel in snow-clearing machinery in certain places.

The NFU last week sent out guidelines to members based on information from HM Revenue & Customs covering when the fuel could and could not be used.

Snow has not fully thawed in all parts of the county following last week's downfall and some areas were hit again on Wednesday night.

Predictions for the county on Saturday are for heavy rain and temperatures of between three and five degrees celsius.

Northumberland County Council is trying to get back to a normal bin collection routine.

A spokeswoman said: "There has inevitably been disruption to the bin collection service in Northumberland due to the recent winter weather conditions - particularly in the more rural areas of the county.

"The council is asking residents to refer to the normal collection timetable for their area, and place the correct coloured bin out on the next scheduled collection day. Where a bin has been missed the council will collect additional bags of waste on the next visit.

Since December, villages and estates have been badly affected by the freezing weather, which has seen much of the North East blanketed by snow.

But as the ice thaws and roads clear many residents are turning their attention away from the weather and wondering why they're still being left out in the cold by the postal service and refuse collectors.