Two beaches in the region have earned unwanted attention in the annual Brown Flag Awards, which highlight coastal areas with the lowest water quality ratings.
Tynemouth, Cullercoats, and Littlehaven Beach were named among 17 UK sites with a ‘poor’ rating from the Environment Agency in the awards compiled by Holiday Park Guru.
The Brown Flag Awards are given to beaches that receive the lowest possible water quality rating based on Environment Agency data.
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Despite the poor ratings for Cullercoats and Littlehaven, Tyne and Wear still boasts several highly rated beaches.
Which beaches received the highest ratings?
According to the Environment Agency’s 2026 water quality data, six beaches in the county achieved the top three-star ‘excellent’ rating:
Marsden
Roker
Tynemouth King Edwards Bay
Tynemouth Long Sands North
Tynemouth Long Sands South
Whitley Bay.
Read more:
Seaburn and South Shields both received a two-star ‘good’ rating.
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No beaches in Tyne and Wear were rated ‘sufficient,’ but Cullercoats and Littlehaven received the lowest ‘poor’ rating.
The data was compiled as part of the Holiday Park Guru Brown Flag Awards, which identify the least desirable beaches for swimmers in the UK.
As Damon Hill put it on our 5 Live commentary, a stupendous weekend for the young Italian, who really put Mercedes team-mate George Russell in the shade. Three pole positions and three wins on the trot is worrying for his competitors.
Lando Norris – 9/10
Made great use of McLaren’s upgrade package and took a dominant sprint victory on the Saturday. Let down more by the wet weather not appearing on Sunday which might have seen him take the race win.
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Oscar Piastri – 7/10
Solid enough from the Australian but very much adrift from McLaren team-mate Norris. Some nice battling with Russell in the race.
George Russell – 6/10
Overshadowed by his team-mate Antonelli this weekend. Russell couldn’t find the grip he needed and never really got into his rhythm.
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Max Verstappen – 6/10
Huge steps made by Red Bull this weekend but an uncharacteristic mistake on the first lap sending him into a spin left him on the back foot. Verstappen was given a five-second penalty for crossing the white line at the pit exit, which underlines an underwhelming Sunday. But plenty of positives to take.
Lewis Hamilton – 5/10
Trailed Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc all weekend. A slow pit stop during the race didn’t help his cause, along with damage picked up from contact with Alpine’s Franco Colapinto.
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Franco Colapinto – 8/10
His best weekend to date. Fast in every session. Outqualified Alpine team-mate Pierre Gasly and ran well in the race, with good wheel-to-wheel combat (maybe a tad close to Hamilton) and rewarded with crucial points.
Charles Leclerc – 6/10
Feels like a wasted potential for Charles in Miami. Was there or thereabouts all weekend but is just missing that extra piece. A lairy final lap with a mistake sending him into the wall undid all his good work in the race, and a 20-second post-race time penalty for leaving the track repeatedly and gaining an advantage loses him points.
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Carlos Sainz – 7/10
Wasn’t happy with his Williams team after practice, as it looked like the team had fallen further behind in the midfield. So to salvage points on Sunday is a big win.
Alex Albon – 7/10
Looked more comfortable in the car and before the track limits violation got him pinged in sprint qualifying, looked ahead of team-mate Sainz. Quiet race but gets off the mark with a point.
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Oliver Bearman – 6/10
Having had the measure of team-mate Esteban Ocon in the first three weekends, the Brit looked behind in the early part of Miami but soon found his way back ahead. Unfortunately, it appears Haas have not taken the steps forward that some of their midfield rivals have.
Gabriel Bortoleto – 5/10
Tough weekend for the Audi team overall. Kept his head down and rewarded the team’s hard work in fixing the reliability issues with a finish.
Viktor Gyokeres gave the Gunners an early lead at the Emirates Stadium and scored again on the stroke of half-time after Bukayo Saka had doubled Arsenal’s lead.
Mikel Arteta’s side failed to boost their goal difference any further in the second half but a comfortable victory still piled the pressure on title rivals Manchester City.
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Man City have two games in hand to try and close the gap on title frontrunners Arsenal, the first a potentially tricky away game against Everton on Monday night.
Neville expects Pep Guardiola’s team to reduce Arsenal’s lead at the Hill Dickinson Stadium and says all eyes will then be on the Gunners and a London derby against West Ham at the weekend.
Arsenal are 17 places and a whopping 40 points above West Ham in the Premier League but the Hammers have improved in recent months to boost their survival hopes.
Arsenal beat London rivals Fulham 3-0 (Picture: Getty)
‘I watched Arsenal last night and disappointed is the wrong word but Mikel Arteta might be thinking that they could have scored a couple more and whether they might regret that,’ Neville said on his Sky Sports podcast.
‘But he’ll be happy with the win and he has to remind the players to take their chances and be clinical and ruthless. Those are the messages he will be giving I imagine.
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‘They can’t sit back now in games, they need to keep going. I think Man City will beat Everton but it would be absolutely stunning if they were to drop points there, it would be stunning.
Mikel Arteta after Arsenal beat Fulham (Picture: Getty)
‘I don’t think it will happen. It’s a massive week because I think the game Arsenal are most likely to drop points in is West Ham away.
‘That’s the game they should fear most. It’s a horrible one because West Ham are fighting for their lives and need the points.’
Jamie Carragher, meanwhile, was impressed by Arsenal’s performance against Fulham and said it ‘certainly’ puts more pressure on Man City as they travel to Merseyside.
Pep Guardiola’s Man City visit Everton on Monday (Picture: Getty)
‘Arsenal were fantastic,’ Carragher said. ‘I think it’s the best they’ve looked for a while, maybe since they beat Tottenham in the north London derby.
‘They were helped a little bit by Fulham but they look energetic and it was big in terms of helping the goal difference as well.
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‘They didn’t look fatigued or tired or nervous which they have of late but again, some of that was down to how poor Fulham were.
‘We’ll see how it plays out but it’s certainly put a little bit on Manchester City now who have a tough game against Everton.
‘I think Man City will win that but it might come down to goal difference now so just winning might not be enough.’
After facing West Ham, Arsenal’s final two Premier League fixtures are against already-relegated Burnley and Crystal Palace.
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Manchester City, meanwhile, face Brentford, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Aston Villa as they seek a seventh Premier League title since 2018.
Councillor Keane Duncan has put his name forward as a candidate to lead the North Yorkshire Conservative Group — a position currently held by long-serving councillor, Carl Les.
A vote will be taken next Wednesday (May 6) when the group meets for its annual general meeting.
The leader of the Conservative Group will not automatically become leader of North Yorkshire Council.
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But with the Conservative and Independent group currently holding 45 out of the 90 seats on the authority, it is likely a new group leader would also go on to lead the council following a vote at the next full council meeting.
If Cllr Les were to win the vote next week, he would automatically continue as leader.
Cllr Duncan, who represents the Norton division, became the youngest council leader in the country when he took up the top role at Ryedale District Council in 2019 aged 24.
The councillor, who is now 31, was elected to the new unitary North Yorkshire Council in 2022 and then stood for election to be the first mayor of York and North Yorkshire in 2024, coming second behind Labour candidate David Skaith.
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He was an executive member for highways on North Yorkshire Council until he was removed by Cllr Les in June last year.
It is understood the relationship between the two councillors has been strained since the reshuffle.
Cllr Duncan told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “I can confirm I have been nominated by colleagues for the role of leader of the Conservative group and I look forward to making my positive case at our AGM.”
Cllr Les, 76, who was awarded an OBE for his services to local government in 2023, has been leader of North Yorkshire Council since 2015.
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It is understood this would be the first time he has faced a direct challenge to his position.
Cllr Les told the LDRS: “It is an internal matter for the Conservative group to elect the group leader.
“Presently, I have been elected by the council as leader until the end of this council. But the decision for the Conservative group on Wednesday is about who leads the Conservative group.
“It’s likely that the leader of the Conservative group would then be the leader of the council, but it’s not automatic.”
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It has already been announced that the deputy leader of the Conservative group and council, Gareth Dadd, will also stand down at the AGM.
Executive members, Councillor Mark Crane and Councillor Richard Foster, have both put their names forward for the role.
Cllr Crane is a former leader of Selby District Council, while Cllr Foster led Craven District Council until local government reorganisation in 2023.
The Strait of Hormuz has been a major point of contention since the conflict started more than two months ago and ships from countries across the world have been affected by the closure
Tannur Anders UK & World News Reporter
00:16, 04 May 2026
US President Donald Trump has said that his country will start escorting ships out of the Strait of Hormuz from Monday in what he called ‘Project Freedom’.
Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social on Sunday, May 3, that countries across the world “have asked the United States if we could help free up their Ships, which are locked up in the Strait of Hormuz”.
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The Strait of Hormuz has been a major point of contention since the conflict started more than two months ago when the US and Israel carried out joint strikes on several key Iranian sites. Iran retaliated by striking sikes across the middle East and closing the critical trade route.
The US has enforced a blockade on Iranian ports in the strait in a bid to choke the Iranian economy, pressure negotiations and lift the closure.
Trump’s Truth Social post continued: “For the good of Iran, the Middle East, and the United States, we have told these Countries that we will guide their Ships safely out of these restricted Waterways, so that they can freely and ably get on with their business. Again, these are Ships from areas of the World that are not in any way involved with that which is currently taking place in the Middle East.”
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“I have told my Representatives to inform them that we will use best efforts to get their Ships and Crews safely out of the Strait. In all cases, they said they will not be returning until the area becomes safe for navigation, and everything else.”
“This process, Project Freedom, will begin Monday morning, Middle East time.”
Trump said that Project Freedom is a humanitarian gesture on behalf of the US, Iran and Middle Eastern countries and that many of these ships are running low on food, and other necessities crews to stay on board in a healthy and sanitary manner.
The tension between the US and Iran remains, and with no long-term peace agreement secured it is unclear how long the stand-off could continue.
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Trump said that if the process is interfered with, the interference will be “dealt with forcefully.”
Head Coach Neil Harris said he is “so proud of the players” following their promotion
By Press Association Sport Staff and Hunni Haynes Trainee multimedia reporter
10:14, 03 May 2026
Cambridge United Football Club have been promoted to Sky Bet League One after a draw against Crewe Alexandra on Saturday (May 2). The draw confirmed an immediate return to the third tier for the team who have finished the season in third place.
Cambridge boss Neil Harris has led his side to the best defensive record in the entire EFL, conceding just 33 goals from 46 games. Harris admitted “nerves were jangling” before his side were able to celebrate the promotion.
He was quick to highlight director of football Mark Bonner’s role in helping transform the club after last term’s misery. “Mark has moved heaven and earth to transform a losing culture and build a structure as well as an identity,” he said.
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“I’m so proud of the players and delighted for Mark. It’s a great day for all of us and the fans who have travelled in numbers and who have given us sold-out stadiums at the Abbey.
“The biggest mention of all is for our owners, Paul Barry and Mark Green, who have invested their own money into the club. Mark because he has been sucked into it and wants to have a bit of fun, he wants to win.
“And Paul because he is just the barmiest fan I’ve ever come across. We should be privileged to have him as an owner as what he does for this football club often goes unnoticed.”
Harris continued: “We weren’t the better team today, but we had the chances again, even in the 97th minute, to win it which has been the case so many times this season. We’re over the line, although the nerves were jangling.”
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Cambridge’s celebrations were delayed as an air ambulance had to land on the pitch to take a home fan who had suffered a medical emergency to hospital.
“Hopefully the fan who has been taken to hospital will be okay,” said Crewe boss Lee Bell. “Football is insignificant in the scheme of things when things like that happen.”
Here’s what the stars have in store for your day (Picture: Metro.co.uk)
Jupiter angles with Mars today, bringing bold decison-making, persuasion and determination to centre stage. Keep momentum up and all will be well.
Libra, Scorpio and Sagittarius, you are capable for more than you may first expect. Channel the confidence of Mars and go forth bravely.
Don’t be thrown by the unexpected. Take adversity in your stride, as it will make you stronger.
Ahead, you’ll find all star signs’ horoscopes for today: Monday May 4, 2026.
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Aries
March 21 to April 20
Your enthusiasm can be palpable as you power into this new week, Aries, and nothing can seem too daunting for you. But with Venus and the Moon in an opposition, it suggests as much as your desire to get things done quickly can be helpful, tact and diplomacy will ease your path most. This will be especially so if you are interacting with a close family member.
Your appreciation of the good things in life can be accentuated today, and your generosity can also flourish. But there may also be something that you feel spurred to purchase that comes from a deeper yearning, maybe even an unexpected nudge to snuffle an item that you hadn’t anticipated that you’d want. However, in contrast, you may decide to vent an old grievance.
With your ruler, Mercury, having moved into a more reflective area and coming into a challenging right angle with the powerful Pluto later this week, a revelation is possible, but maybe what comes up and out will be for the best. And you could be lifted by the support and enthusiasm of one friend. Their encouragement can just chime in the right way for you, Gemini.
With Jupiter in your sign in a powerful angle to Mars, the planet of action and desire, in a very prominent zone, if there is a goal that you really want to attain, your drive and passion to achieve this can be extremely strong. But ironically, you could also be tempted to pivot into something completely different and let go of what no longer brings joy or feeds your soul.
Your natural warmth and charisma can burn brightly as we enter this new week. And with Venus and the Moon aligning beautifully, you can resonate in just the right way with the people you encounter. But something you’ve thought about deeply over the last eight or nine months, but hasn’t yet materialised, could start to do so, as this week unfolds, Leo.
The Moon occupies a sensitive and homey area, which may see you wanting to ease into the week without too many demands. But another part of your nature may be relishing a challenge. What will it be? There can be a growing sense that staying as you are is unlikely to be an option. And even if you just mull this over today, this realisation can grow stronger.
Cosmic messages for Cosmic messages for Virgo today
Libra
September 24 to October 23
You realise more than any other zodiac sign, Libra, that it’s not just words and ideas that count, but also tone. And your appreciation of framing things in just the right way can be heightened today. But beneath this can certainly be a lot of desire and thrust to get your message across, and it most certainly can be heard today and by someone influential.
Part of you may want to be super-efficient, productive, and functional. Another part of you may want to completely escape the very things you know you should really be doing. And with the Moon and Venus forging an evocative connection, if escapism does win out, you’ll want to do so indulgently. Will you feel guilty? Perhaps, but perhaps not that guilty!
It’s likely going to be a pacey start to the week for you Archer, with the Moon in your sign forging an energetic link to the robust Mars in your sister fire sign of Aries. Also, your ruler Jupiter is linking to Mars, and you’re probably going to want to be very dynamic in all the moves that you make. With the harmonising Venus also supportive, people can be responsive.
Capricorns have a reputation for being cautious and even reserved. And that can seem to play out today with the Moon starting the week in a more reflective area. There is certainly a lot to mull over, but despite this, there can be one person that keeps coming up on your cosmic radar, that you could still be drawn to reach out to – be it for business or pleasure.
Although the Sun and Mercury are bringing energy to your home and family situation, it’s your ideas sector that continues to be especially illuminated, and the energetic Mars’ connection to the expansive Jupiter today can put you in the mood to tackle a challenge. But if you can add your creativity and flair to the mix, it’s likely the perfect formula, Aquarius.
Your traditional ruler, Jupiter, continues in a flamboyant zone through to the end of June and is encouraging you to showcase your creative brilliance in all its different guises. If you can find a way to convert those talents into improving your income or even sense of self, this can certainly be a fine time to push forward. Your need for recognition is also heightened today.
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Lepas is planning to launch three new SUVs in the UK market over the next 12 months.
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Lepas is a new firm that is owned by the Chinese giant, Chery Automotive. It falls under Chery’s ‘export strategy’ programme, which introduces new brands specifically for European markets. Already, brands such as Jaecoo and Omoda have seen success under this umbrella.
The first model to arrive in the third quarter of this year is Lepas’ flagship model, the L8. It will come with a plug-in hybrid powertrain, using a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine with an electric motor and 18kWh battery pack to deliver a claimed electric range of up to 55 miles.
The second model to follow will be the L6 mid-size SUV, rivalling the Kia Sportage. It will be available with petrol, hybrid and electric options. Lepas has not revealed details on the petrol model’s powertrain, but the hybrid will be fitted with a 1.5-litre turbocharged unit mated to an electric motor, while the EV will be hooked up to a 67kWh battery pack and an electric motor to provide a claimed range of up to 270 miles.
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Finally, the L4 will complete the line-up and will be the smallest model in the Lepas range. It’s a compact crossover that will rival the Volvo EX30 and BMW iX1 when it goes on sale next year.
However, powertrain details are limited at this stage, though Lepas has confirmed that it will be available with an electric powertrain.
Further details on Lepas’ SUV range will be revealed later this year, with orders set to follow.
The grass snake, the UK’s longest native reptile, is typically associated with southern and central England and parts of Wales.
However, recent anecdotal evidence and scattered public reports suggest the species may be making a quiet comeback in parts of the North East.
Sightings have been reported near wetlands, large gardens and compost-rich areas, habitats that are ideal for the elusive snake.
“It’s both exciting and unexpected,” said one local naturalist.
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“For years, grass snakes were thought to be locally extinct here, but we’re now hearing more frequent, though still unconfirmed, reports, particularly around water-rich environments.”
Once widespread across Britain, grass snake populations in the North East declined sharply over recent decades due to habitat loss, climate change and increasing urban development.
Until recently, many conservationists believed the species had vanished entirely from County Durham.
Unlike the UK’s only venomous snake, the adder, grass snakes are completely harmless to humans.
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Grass snake (Image: UGC)
They are recognisable by their olive-green colouring and distinctive yellow-and-black collar behind the head, and can grow up to 1.5 metres in length.
They are also strong swimmers, the only native UK snake regularly found hunting in water.
“Grass snakes are closely tied to wetlands,” explained BBC Countryfile on its website.
“They primarily feed on amphibians such as frogs and newts, but will also take small fish and occasionally mammals.”
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Despite their rarity, experts say suitable habitats still exist in County Durham, particularly in areas such as the Wear Valley, Teesdale and parts of the Derwent Valley.
The species typically emerges from hibernation in spring when temperatures rise above 10°C. Breeding soon follows, with females laying eggs in warm, decomposing material such as compost heaps in early summer.
Hatchlings usually emerge between late August and September.
Wildlife organisations are now encouraging the public to report any sightings, while stressing the importance of not disturbing the animals.
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“If grass snakes are genuinely returning to the North East, it’s a very positive sign,” said a spokesperson for Durham Wildlife Trust.
“It suggests that, in some places, our landscapes are recovering and can once again support species that were previously lost.”
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