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A "cherished" heritage building is set for renovation after plans were given the green light.

Sunderland City Council's planning department has approved proposals to replace some of the non-historic windows at Kepier Hall, off Church Street, in Houghton-le-Spring.

The building is Grade II* listed and according to Historic England has parts that date back to the 16th Century.

It was a school until the 1920s before becoming a church hall and is currently used by community groups and as accommodation.

A small number of historic timber windows had been retained in the oldest parts of the building, but the majority had been replaced with poor quality replicas, many as part of 2008 restoration, according to Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A design and access statement said the works would ensure Kepier Hall remained a "valuable and cherished asset to the local community for generations to come".

According to a planning application form, which was submitted to the council in April, development works started in late-2024 but had not been completed.

The council's conservation department noted the listed building was "highly significant" and had been extended in the 1980s to provide a community hall, which has been managed by the Kepier Trust "for many years".

Two teenagers have been jailed for life for the "cowardly" murder of a man who police said "was outnumbered and unarmed".

Ryan Wedderburn, 18, and Kirk Harris, 19, were found guilty of murdering Robert Robinson, 21, in Deptford, south-east London, on 6 June last year.

Wedderburn was sentenced to a minimum term of 23 years on Thursday while Harris was handed a minimum term of 22 years and nine months. Dalziell Wedderburn was acquitted in the trial at the Old Bailey.

Det Insp Neil Tovey, said: "I am pleased that we have today secured justice for the family and friends of Robert. He was stabbed to death in a brutal attack in a residential road when numerous families would have been home."

He added: "Robert was a young man who had his whole life ahead of him, it was instead taken away by Wedderburn and Harris in a senseless attack. Robert tried to run for his life, but was chased down and viciously attacked.

"His family listened to the details of the attack and watched the CCTV of Robert's last moments.

"They also heard the evidence from Wedderburn and Harris where they attempted to justify their actions.

"I would like to pay tribute to the dignity that Robert's family and friends have shown throughout the trial."

A police officer accused of groping a colleague during a night out would have been sacked if he had not resigned, a disciplinary hearing has ruled.

The panel found that Joshua Barden's actions amounted to sexual misconduct

The officer, who served at Northamptonshire Police, resigned on 21 March and did not attend the hearing on 15 May.

His conduct would have had "a significant impact on public confidence in the profession", the panel ruled.

Barden asked a female officer where she was interested in a relationship with him during a night out in 2022, the panel was told.

She had declined and walked away, but the colleague said Barden came up to her while she was talking to someone else and groped her chest.

When Barden was interviewed, he said he had consumed alcohol that night and could not remember the incident happening.

The witness provided a written statement about the incident earlier this year, which Barden did not challenge.

The hearing found that the misconduct had been "confined to a single episode and had been brief in duration".

Assistant Chief Constable Adam Ward, who chaired the panel, said there was "only one appropriate and proportionate conclusion that it could reach in the circumstances, namely, to impose disciplinary action".

"In practical terms, this means that had the former officer still been a member of the Northamptonshire police force, the panel would have dismissed him."

Bernard Kerik, New York City's former police commissioner during the 11 September 2001 attacks, has died aged 69.

His death was confirmed by FBI Director Kash Patel, who said the former police officer died Thursday after a "private battle with illness."

Kerik oversaw the police response to the deadliest terrorist attack in US history, and was later appointed by former US President George Bush as head of a provisional police force in Iraq.

He pleaded guilty to charges of tax fraud in 2009 and served three years in prison, though he was pardoned by President Donald Trump in 2020.

Those who paid tribute to Kerik include former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, who was in office when Kerik served as commissioner of the NYPD, and current mayor Eric Adams.

"We've been together since the beginning. He's like my brother," Giuiliani said Thursday on his show.

"I was a better man for having known Bernie," Giuiliani said. "I certainly was a braver and stronger man."

Adams, who had been friends with Kerik for nearly 30 years, said he had visited him in hospital before his death.

"He was with his loved ones who are in my prayers tonight," Adams said in a statement. "He was a great New Yorker and American."

Kerik, a former army veteran and a decorated law enforcement officer, rose up the ranks through his career, and was nearly tapped to run the Department of Homeland Security under Bush in 2004 before he abruptly withdrew his nomination.

In 2009, Kerik pleaded guilty to federal charges after he was accused of lying to investigators about interest-free loans he received from an Israeli billionaire and a New York real estate magnet while he was in public office.

He was granted a full pardon by Trump in 2020, and later joined Giuiliani's efforts to overturn Trump's election loss that same year.

Police officers used photos of sex workers to play a "crass and inappropriate" game of "snog, marry or avoid", an employment tribunal heard.

The game came to light as part of an unsuccessful claim of racial discrimination brought by former probationary police constable Shafarat Mohammed against Derbyshire Police.

Mr Mohammed sued the force claiming colleagues had discriminated against him when he served as an officer in Derby between March 2022 and his resignation in October that year.

A report on the findings of the tribunal, published on Thursday, said Mr Mohammed, an Asian Muslim, alleged he was subjected to acts of direct discrimination because of his race and religious beliefs.

Among his claims were that, in May or June 2023, a colleague asked him to look at pictures of black female sex workers and comment on whether he liked them.

The claimant said the game, where players pick people they would prefer to kiss, marry or avoid, left him offended and embarrassed and was racially motivated.

In a report, tribunal judge Stephen Shore said the game could have constituted sexual harassment but Mr Mohammed had not made such a claim.

The judge said: "The 'game' was crass and inappropriate. It casts no one who participated in it in a good light."

A panel, led by the judge, dismissed all of Mr Mohammed's claims which also included that he had been ostracised and excluded from team and social events and that colleagues ordered and ate bacon sandwiches, knowing he was a Muslim, to further exclude him.

Mr Mohammed said he had also been called a "Road Man", a slang term for a drug dealer, by a colleague during one of his first shifts at Pear Tree Police Station in Derby in March 2022.

The panel heard evidence from the complainant during a five-day hearing at the Nottingham Tribunal Hearing Centre, in July last year.

"Our analysis of the facts of each, claim led us to the conclusion that many of the claims were weak and not founded in fact," the panel's report said.

The panel report said Mr Mohammed had "weakened his case by withdrawing allegations" and had retrospectively refitted facts to fit his discrimination claims.

The panel also found he had fabricated facts to bolster his claims, some of which were contradicted by his own contemporaneous statements.

The panel said evidence presented to the tribunal found the claimant "struggled" as a probationary officer while working at a "pressurised" police station.

A spokesperson for Derbyshire Police said: "We are pleased with the outcome of the employment tribunal.

"As a force, we investigate thoroughly when reports are made, and we will not tolerate racist and discriminatory behaviour.

"Following any judgement, if relevant, words of advice, organisational and departmental learning is issued to the workforce to ensure that unacceptable practices are rooted out."

Almost every child has dreamed, if only for a moment, of living in the world of Harry Potter.

When the cast was announced for the films back in the early 2000s, I remember feeling a pang of jealousy – Emma Watson was fine, but wasn't I the real Hermione Granger? I would have given anything for a casting director to have spotted me and whisked me away to Hogwarts to play the iconic witch.

For three young actors – Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout – that fantasy has become a reality after they were cast as Harry, Hermione and Ron in HBO's forthcoming Harry Potter TV adaptation.

The trio went through a process that lasted for months and included several rounds of auditions and workshops.

They were eventually chosen after more than 30,000 children applied to join the wizarding world through an open casting call. What was the process like, and what lies in store for the chosen few?

Daniela Tasker saw the open casting call advertised on Facebook and encouraged her son and daughter to audition.

They were asked to submit two videos – a memorised monologue and a short introductory clip talking about their hobbies. Her son Marcus received a call back.

"Marcus wasn't very interested in Harry Potter but when he made it to the next stage he read all the books, watched the films and went through a phase of loving it," Daniela tells the BBC.

In October, Marcus was sent a script from classic 1982 film ET to perform – but after submitting his video, he didn't hear back.

Despite being "very sad" about the outcome, Marcus is now determined to apply for other acting roles and has his second-round script framed in his bedroom.

Those who made it past the second round of auditions had to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), meaning they can't publicly reveal any information about the casting process.

However, one parent who spoke to the BBC anonymously said their son made it through several rounds of the process and was still attending auditions until recently.

'Dodged a bullet'

The young boy was given a script for the new series and attended in-person workshops with other children.

"We had a glimpse of what the show will be like and we are very excited for it," the parent says. "You can tell a lot of care has gone into the details."

But the parent started to "get cold feet" as the process went on when they realised how life-changing this role would be.

"It started to become more daunting and we realised the huge pressure that would be on our son if he got the role. He was a little disappointed to be unsuccessful but I think we've dodged a bullet."

Issy always dreamed of joining her big brother as a Sea Cadet.

She joined the Loughborough branch in Leicestershire two days after her 10th birthday – the official joining age – and was hooked from the first night.

But at the age of 13, Issy's life changed when she suffered a deterioration in her sight overnight, leaving doctors mystified.

"I just woke up one day and my vision was super blurry," she said. "I've been to hospital, had checks with my brain and they can't find anything."

Issy explained she was released from medical care after a few years and "felt lost".

She added: "I thought it was going to change everything at cadets, I'll be a health and safety risk – but the staff were really good, they said 'what can we do to help?'"

Issy, now 16, said that prior to becoming visually impaired, she had "loved" her work with the cadets, and added: "You're learning in such a fun way you don't feel like you're learning, whilst at school it's so stressful.

"The tests you have to do, they make it seem so easy and do it in such a relaxed way."

It was the cadets that helped her after her eyesight deteriorated, as they let her join in all activities, even on the water.

"Boating I thought was going to be like end game, and I was going to have to sit on the side," she said.

"But no, it was really good, I always have someone to help me and they say 'let's just get on with it, we'll learn from our mistakes and keep going'.

"Now I've done every qualification I can do on the water."

Issy has had to adapt to her visual impairment in other areas, but, like her Sea Cadet career, she has continued to thrive.

She has just completed her first aid at work course and is getting ready to take her GCSEs.

At school, she uses large print to help her see the work. Her biggest problem is at night.

"In the dark, I can only see silhouettes and I can't tell who people are," she said. "I use a cane now to help me."

She has also praised the cadets for the adjustments they have made.

They painted white lines on all the steps and put glow-in-the-dark tape around all the light switches.

She added: "At first, at age 13 it was difficult, but I've learned to live with it. I had no idea what it would be like for the rest of my life. I've just tried to get on with it."

Now, Issy is helping her branch of the Sea Cadets by trying to encourage other people to come forward and volunteer.

The charity is having to turn away children because it does not have enough volunteers to support new recruits.

Stewart Thorpe, from the East Midlands Reserve Forces and Cadets Association, said the group wanted to "positively change the lives of more youngsters in the area".

He added Issy had been an inspiration and wanted to share her story "from having her world turned upside down when she woke up partially blind, to being made to feel like anyone else, thanks to volunteers".

A man has been arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving after a van crashed into a car and flipped over into a pub sign.

Nottinghamshire Police said a 22-year-old man was arrested following the collision near the Radcliffe pub in Shelford Road, Radcliffe-on-Trent, at 13:20 BST on Monday.

He was also arrested on suspicion of driving while unfit through drink and failing to stop following a road accident after being treated in hospital for minor injuries, the force said.

Sgt Nathan Lewis, of Nottinghamshire Police, said it was an "incredibly dangerous situation".

Police said the motorist had reportedly been driving in a dangerous manner, speeding and overtaking other cars on bends before losing control near the pub entrance and crashing into its sign.

The van was "completely written-off" and another car sustained "significant damage", the force said.

Sgt Lewis said: "This was an incredibly dangerous situation that thankfully didn't result in anyone sustaining any injuries.

"That this didn't happen was down to sheer luck, when you consider the damage caused to both vehicles and the crash's location near the entrance to a pub."

A boat builder from Devon is set to restore a vessel that helped evacuate soldiers from Dunkirk.

From 26 May to 4 June 1940, hundreds of vessels sailed through heavy enemy fire to rescue more than 338,000 British and Allied troops from the beaches of Dunkirk as part of Operation Dynamo.

Boat builder Abbey Molyneux, originally from Exeter, said the Guide of Dunkirk lifeboat, which has spent 40 years in Mevagissey, in Cornwall, would be transported to her boatyard in Norfolk for the restoration.

"She saved thousands of lives on the run to Dunkirk and we're now going to try and restore her," she said.

Ms Molyneux told BBC Radio Devon the Guide of Dunkirk was in "perfect condition".

According to the RNLI, 700 civilian vessels, now known as the Little Ships of Dunkirk, made the crossing along with 19 RNLI lifeboats.

"They used all sorts of different boats and the Guide of Dunkirk was very popular, as were a lot of lifeboats because they've got a very shallow draft," Ms Molyneux said.

"They saved thousands and thousands of lives because they were the boats that could get closest to the shore to rescue the soldiers."

She added: "These little lifeboats were a key part of the whole evacuation."

Ms Molyneux, who has restored up to 30 Dunkirk little ships, said she hoped to restore the vessel back to its original condition and take it back to Dunkirk in the future.

The Guide of Dunkirk will arrive in Norfolk on Friday.

A woman with a life-threatening heart condition has spent seven months in a hospital more than 260 miles away from home as she waits for a transplant.

Nicola Allen, 51, from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, was born with two holes in her heart but it was only after she gave birth in 2010 that she was diagnosed with ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy.

She was admitted to Newcastle's Freeman Hospital, the UK's leading centre for complex congenital heart conditions, when her condition deteriorated in October.

"I have already started to look forward to the clanking of the tea trolley on the ward," she said.

Ms Allen, a family support worker, said the hardest thing about her hospital stay was being so far away from loved ones.

"Living away from home has its own kind of pain, being away from my family and friends – especially my daughter," she said.

"I feel like I am missing a piece of myself every day. I think of her all the time."

The NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) service said 13 people had died waiting for a heart transplant in 2023-24 and there were currently 306 people waiting for a heart-only transplant.

The average waiting time for a heart transplant for those on the non-urgent list is about six years, according to NHSBT.

However, this falls to 47 days for those on the urgent list and just 11 days for those on the super-urgent list.

"There are not enough donated organs which sadly means some people wait years for a transplant or never receive one at all," an NHS spokesperson said.

"Waiting lists are at their highest level in a decade.

"We urge everyone to confirm their decision to be an organ donor on the NHS Organ Donor Register and tell their family they want to save lives."

'Days blur together'

Ms Allen said she realised quickly after admission she would need to establish a routine for the sake of her mental wellbeing.

The routine includes getting dressed every day, going for a walk for fresh air in the hospital courtyard and writing a daily blog.

"This has helped me to motivate myself and have a sense of worth," she said.

She added that going for medical procedures had become "like a day out".

Despite being given her own room with an en-suite and a window, Ms Allen said she often felt claustrophobic.

"The days blur together," she said.

"Sometimes I think about escaping – not far, just far enough to feel like I am somewhere else.

"But for now, I stay where I am, I wait and I hope."