FIVE years ago this week, a North-East train factory secured hundreds of jobs when it won a £1.2bn Government contract.

Hitachi Rail Europe announced it would build 270 carriages at its factory in Newton Aycliffe – starting production in 2016 with new express trains to enter the service by 2018.

The deal followed an already-placed order of 596 carriages which would guarantee 730 jobs until 2020.

"This is excellent news," said Phil Wilson, Labour MP for Sedgefield.

"It's the second contract Hitachi has won and the factory hasn't even been built yet.”

Also that week, a decision was made to phase out a controversial “end-of-life” programme in hospitals, which allowed doctors to withhold treatment from dying patients.

Experts concluded, in an independent review, that the Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP) had been used "as an excuse for poor-quality care" by recommending doctors to withdraw treatment, food and water from sedated patients in their final days.

The Government responded by ordering hospitals to review their approach to end of life care and replace LCP with a personalised plan tailored to the needs of each patient.

Alan Hardwick, 71, from Sedgefield, whose late wife, Sharon, 53, was put on the pathway at the University Hospital of North Tees, in Stockton, without the family being fully informed, said: "We only found out about Sharon being on the pathway when my daughter happened to hear a nurse saying they were going to stop all medication. In future they must get the consent from the family before they put someone on a care plan."

A former Ashes hero was awarded an honorary degree the day after watching England take a dramatic lead in the Test series.

Durham captain Paul Collingwood was presented with an honorary doctorate in civil law at Northumbria University.

Collingwood, who played in four Ashes series and received an MBE for his services to the sport, said: "It's a proud day to receive this honour, particularly with my family in attendance.”

And a school leaver was escorted to prom by her biker grandad.

Sascha-Jai Preston, from Darlington, had recently finished her GCSEs at Hummersknott Academy.

The 16-year-old set off to her prom at Hardwick Hall, Sedgefield, in a white Beauford classic car and an escort of leather-clad bikers headed by her grandfather, known as Jungle.

They followed the car, containing Sascha-Jai and her friends, to the prom in a parade of leathers, beards and revving engines.

Her mother, Nichola Preston, said: "If anyone would ask Sascha-Jai about her best friend, it's her granddad.

"My dad did her proud and it is something she will never forget."