Newcastle headlines 5 February: Funding for Tyne Bridge signed off

Here are your latest Newcastle headlines.

Transcript

00:00 Hi, I'm Iona May in these your latest Newcastle headlines.

00:03 More than £35m of funding for the restoration of the rusted Tyne Bridge has finally been

00:08 signed off by the government. Ministers confirmed that the Department for Transport will pay for the

00:12 bulk of the North East Icon's desperately needed repairs, delivering on a pledge that was originally

00:17 made in summer 2022. Next, Newcastle's hospitality industry experienced a 12.7% sales growth in 2023,

00:26 emerging as a standout performer across the North. The research, conducted by Northern

00:30 Restaurant and Bar, revealed the city's growth surpassed that of London's.

00:33 Finally, two men have been put behind bars for a total of four years and nine months after they

00:39 carried out a random knife attack in Newcastle City Centre in 2022. Speaking after the sentencing,

00:44 investigating officer DC Michelle Clark said "Knife crime continues to blight society and

00:49 we are constantly working with other forces to concentrate our resources on removing them."