County Durham and Darlington Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen has welcomed a new report that shows the county is making rapid progress in its fight against rural crime.

An MP has hit back after she was accused of talking down on the work of volunteers and ‘misleading’ the public as she campaigns to clean the River Wear.

Civic enforcement officers investigating an incident on New Lane, Heighington, identified the vehicle involved and traced it back to Connor Goslin, of Randolph Street, Coundon and Arron Cole, of Oxford Street, Eldon, in County Durham.

Dead fish and birds, traffic cones, litter and bicycle wheels have all been seen floating in the river by residents and tourists despite the council conducting daily litter picks along the river.

Sandra Simpson runs Hedgehog Helpers, Hedgehog Rescue Darlington has seen too many examples of well-meaning members of the public taking a strimmer to their hedges, often with disastrous consequences for wildlife.

Calls have been made for traffic agencies to alter an ‘embarrassing’ road sign that has given motorists a good laugh as they drive over the County Durham/Cumbria border.

The 42-year-old, from North Yorkshire, was arrested on August 3 after rural community members alerted officers to suspicious activity.

Fly-tippers from County Durham have been hit in the pocket by more than £1,000 each over two separate cases of illegal waste dumping.

Jonathan Bentham took the Vauxhall Corsa which was locked and parked outside his sister’s home, at about 11pm, on Saturday June 4 this year.

New measures to tackle anti-social behaviour at a popular Teesdale beauty spot have come into force.

The road is closed and there is queueing traffic on A689 both ways from Rookhope turn off to Eastgate Village Hall turn off.

“Five appliances from Bishop Auckland, Darlington, Spennymoor and the water bowser attended the incident.

Residents have expressed their anger and frustration after a popular County Durham beauty spot was hit with a "mammoth" amount of fly-tipping that “destroyed the landscape” and made the area “unvisitable”.

A dog has been stolen from its owner in broad daylight while out for a walk in a popular County Durham park, as police are appealing for information about the beloved pet.

Rural crime is on the rise in the North East with the theft of livestock, vehicles and fuel becoming more lucrative for criminal gangs, insurers have warned.