The top two teams in the Re/Max Northern Alliance Premier Division - Walker Central and Gillford Park - were lying idle and third-placed Harraby Catholic continued to lose ground.

The Cumbrians could only draw 1-1 at Shankhouse with their opener by Jordan Coulthard cancelled out by Craig Johnson.

Only six points separate the bottom five clubs in the Northern Alliance, but with only four and three games to go respectively, Murton and Peterlee Town remain in the gravest danger, both losing again on Saturday.

Newtowners also lost 2-1 at Shankhouse, who had Craig Johnson and Darren Naylor on target before Jonathan Monaghan pulled a goal back.

Third bottom Cramlington Town moved up a notch after a 1-1 draw with visitors Heaton Stannington. After taking a second-minute lead through Paul Joisce, the Town were unlucky to concede an equaliser to Heaton's Andrew Weeks.

Bosses at Northumberland's new super council have been accused of failing to comply with an independent regulator's guidance by providing an 0845 number for people who need to contact the authority.

Bob Watson is unhappy that Northumberland County Council's new number is premium rate

Members of the public who telephone the all-purpose council - which came into being on April 1 following the switch to unitary local government - now have to use a single number, 0845 600 6400, to speak to call handlers.

GREAT NEWS! The gym at The Sporting Club Cramlington has been completely refurbished with top of the range Precor equipment and the Fitlinxx Personal Training IT system.

You can now exercise at Blyth Sports Centre, Concordia Leisure Centre and the quieter Sporting Club Cramlington using the same fitness equipment and using the popular Fitlinxx system to monitor your workouts.

The Lifestyle Gym at Sporting Club Cramlington has 13 cardiovascular machines (4 treadmills, 3 rowers, 2 bikes, 1 arm ergometer, 2 cross-trainers and an adaptive motion trainer), 9 resistance machines and a free weights area. It offers a quieter exercise environment than the other centres, and also has a great range of fitness classes for you to try.

With Lifestyle Memberships from as little as £27.50, you now have 3 fantastic venues where you can exercise with Blyth Valley Arts and Leisure.

For more details about the new Lifestyle gym, opening hours, memberships etc. please visit our website www.bval.co.uk

Her allergies made life a living nightmare. For eight years, Margaret Bell could eat nothing but white bread, fruit and vegetables.

The sales assistant, from Wardley in Gateshead, couldn't go out for meals with friends and had to carefully read the labels of everything she picked up in the supermarket.

Otherwise she risked a severe reaction that could kill her within minutes.

Caretaker arrangements have been put in place for eight new parish councils in south east Northumberland, which have now become a reality.

The new authorities are in Ashington, Blyth, Cramlington, East Bedlington, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, North Bedlington, Seaton Valley and West Bedlington, and elections will be held on June 4 to decide their membership.

Candidates' nomination papers are now available from elections offices in Ashington (01670-532290) and Blyth (01670-542210).

Walker Central, unbeaten in the league since October 1 and yet to lose at home, look set to claim a second Northern Alliance Premier Division title in successive seasons.

They have banged in eight goals in each of their last two games to indicate what their rivals are up against. John Campbell, Ian Dunn and Dave Thompson have found the net eleven times between them in those two matches.

This weekend the Central will be protecting their home record against Blyth Town, the latest visitors to 'Fortress' Monkchester. Blyth are unlikely to be intimidated after taking maximum points from their three most recent outings and at Peterlee on Wednesday night they had Danny Beresford claiming a hat-trick in a 4-2 victory with Chris Taylor also on target.

Schoolboy show-jumper Lewis Lowson has proved he's hoof and shoulders above the rest.

The 13-year-old is the best in Britain, and now the ambitious teenager is aiming one stride further as he sets his sights on the Olympics.

Lewis beat hundreds of other horse riders in the British Junior Showjumping Championships and brought home the gold. He was one of 800 riders to compete in the top national competition, held in Crick in Wales, and brought the medal back to the North East.

He fought off stiff competition from the under-16s across Britain at the David Broome Events Centre.

Speed cameras are to be installed at a series of accident blackspots, including two in Northumberland.

The Northumbria Safer Roads Initiative has announced details of 16 new camera sites across the region where there has been 31 fatal or serious injury smashes and 88 slight injury collisions in recent years.

In Northumberland, cameras will be used on Lamb Street, Cramlington, and North Road, Berwick. Camera bosses say they are introducing the devices in a bid to get people to slow down and save lives.

Homes for Northumberland has set up a dedicated team to tackle anti-social behaviour in Cramlington and the rest of the Blyth Valley area.

The team will work with Northumbria Police and local communities with the aim of ensuring people in the area enjoy a peaceful life.

Anyone wanting to report incidents of antisocial behaviour can contact Homes for Northumberland on 01670 542060 or email snu@hfn.uk.com.