TEN years ago, this week, missing schoolgirl Shannon Matthews was found in a flat about a mile away from her home in West Yorkshire.

The nine-year-old had been missing for 24 days when police smashed their way the property in Dewsbury, and found her hidden in the base of a bed.

Neighbours said they saw the youngster being carried out of the house and a man being dragged away by officers.

Her mother, Karen Matthews was said to be in shock after her daughter was found alive, but it later emerged that Shannon had been the victim of a fake kidnap to gain financial rewards.

Matthews and co-conspirator Michael Donovan were found guilty of kidnapping, false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice and jailed for eight years.

Also, that month, ambitious plans to create a £140m light railway for the Tees Valley were said to have moved a significant step closer when the Government revealed that the area's bid to win city-region status had impressed ministers.

Communities Secretary Hazel Blears praised the Tees Valley bid to form a powerful cross-council coalition – known as a "multi-area agreement" (MAA) – which would give the area extra spending power to improve housing, buses and roads.

Five councils -–Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton – wanted permission to pool their budgets to press ahead with regeneration priorities, with an official announcement from the Government expected in June.

At stake, is the question of how more than £600m will be spent over ten years on the priorities identified in a 100-page strategy published 18 months ago.

Top of the list is the 30-year-old dream of a Metro-style light rail scheme across Teesside. Trains would link Saltburn to Darlington, serving Durham Tees Valley Airport, with new track laid alongside existing rails.

Joe Docherty, chief executive of Tees Valley Regeneration, which is working on a business plan, welcomed the news.

He said: "I think the recognition of the Tees Valley as a city region would add to the case for a Metro system."

And The Northern Echo revealed that a North-East man who emigrated to Australia six years ago was selling his life as a job-lot on auction website eBay – for the starting price of one Australian dollar.

After separating from his wife of five years, Ian Usher, 44, was offering a ready-made life in Perth, Australia, including his custom built house, Mazda car, 140mph Kawasaki motorcycle, jet-ski, job and even access to his friends.

Included in the package was a host of gadgets that will help the successful bidder – expected to pay at least £230,000 – to live Mr Usher's sun-drenched Australian lifestyle to the full.

Mr Usher, who is originally from Darlington and became an Australian citizen in 2006, said: "My life here is absolutely fantastic, but I just want to make a clean break and start again, so I am selling everything, lock, stock and barrel, from the contents of my wardrobe to my kettle, and from my cutlery to my car."