A NORTH-East University and water company have signed an agreement looking at "water challenges".

Durham University and Northumbrian Water signed the five-year agreement to share research and development expertise.

The two have previously worked on projects including developing the North East Water Hub, the regeneration of industrial sites by looking at the potential of waste to bring sites back into community use and reprocessing water from former coal mines.

Vice-chanceller Professor Stuart Corbridge said: "The work we have carried out has societal, environmental and economic benefits and the signing of this agreement will help us to further develop and grow our partnership to support water sustainability in this country and internationally."