George White, 55, of Elm Street, Langley Park, was travelling south down Portland Terrace, in Sandyford, Newcastle, on Sunday night when he crashed his van into Benton House, near the junction of Portland Terrace and Sandyford Road.

He was taken to Newcastle General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

BLINDS BLAZE: A fire at the Hillary's Blinds factory, in Washington, late on Friday night, is believed to have begun as a result of an electrical fault. A small room, containing a gas meter and propane gas cylinder, was severely damaged while workshops, office and warehouse space at the unit, on the Armstrong Industrial Estate, suffered smoke and heat damage.

CELEBRITY VISIT: Television celebrity Keith Chegwin will be at DH1 nightclub, Durham, from 10.30pm on Friday. Infamous for his antics on Channel Five, he will perform some of his stage shows.

SURVEY SURPRISE: Sarah Clyde won a selection of high street vouchers after taking part in a survey by bus operator Go North-East over services around her home town of Seaham, east Durham.

SCHOOL CHAPEL: Governors at St Leonard's RC Comprehensive School, in Durham, have applied to the city council for planning permission to build a chapel, at the North End site.

ROAD RESTRICTIONS: There will be lane restrictions for maintenance on the A690 at Stoneygate, near Houghton-le-Spring, until Thursday, between 6am and 6pm.

BRASS CONCERT: Houghton Brass are in concert at St Cuthbert's Church in Shadforth, near Durham, on Friday, at 7pm. Admission, at the door, is £3, including refreshments.

OPEN DAY: Hanover Housing Association stages a summer fair/open day at its sheltered accommodation complex in Hanover Court, Allergate, Durham, on Saturday, from 1.30pm until about 4pm. Admission is free.

BEDROOM alight: Firefighters put out a blaze in a bedroom at a house in Catchgate, near Stanley, County Durham, late on Saturday night. Neighbours in Church Street raised the alert shortly before 11.30pm.

Licence bid: The Big Jug pub in Claypath, Durham, is applying to Durham City Council to vary its public entertainment licence so that it can open from 11am to 11pm on Sundays.

Charity cash: A gig by Barking Billy and the Scrapyard Dogs at the Daisy Hill, Heugh Edge, Sacriston, last Friday raised almost £200 for the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young, in memory of Levon Morland, 22, of West Rainton, who died of a heart murmur. His father Jeff is the band's singer.

Lions' backing: Chester-le-Street Lions Club is sponsoring a football tournament for 13 school teams that will be held on Saturday, at Pelton Junior School, starting at 9.30am.