TEN years ago, this week, the economic crises hit councils causing service cuts, redundancies and inflation-busting tax rises.

Local authorities across the North-East and North Yorkshire proposed tax rises of five per cent worrying campaigners the poorest households would be affected.

Figures released revealed more than 50,000 households in the region received a court summons after failing to pay their council tax bills the year prior.

Darlington Borough Council announced plans to make 35 people redundant as it tried to cut £4.9m from its budget.

Other proposals included closing an aviary in the town's South Park, increasing car parking charges and shutting three public conveniences.

Chief executive Ada Burns said problems selling unwanted council-owned land to private developers was one of the reasons behind the cuts.

Also, that week, a crackdown was launched to stop unscrupulous loan sharks in the North-East.

The campaign was introduced to stop the illegal moneylenders preying on the disadvantaged.

An intelligence team vowed to stop the increasing number of loan sharks – who were targeting the region’s most deprived areas.

North-East Trading Standards project manager Jeff Bell said the unit would encompass each of the 12 trading standards agencies in the region.

He said its aim was to rid the region of loan sharks and provide advice and information on how to avoid illegal loans through greater use of credit unions and banks.

Mr Bell said: "Getting intelligence on loan sharks is very difficult because of the intimidation factor, and people don't know who to complain to.

"Another reason why people won't come forward is that people think loan sharks are the only form of credit to them."

At that time, a six-year-old’s dream came true when he woke up to find a Tardis in his garden.

Dr Who super-fan Nathan Taylor from Bishop Auckland was surprised with a replica time machine used in the cult BBC sci-fi series.

His stepfather, Stephen Hudspeth created the Tardis as a labour of love building the replica during his evenings and weekends.

Nathan's mother, Rachel Maughan, who lives with Mr Hudspeth, said: "He was so stunned. I think he thought he was really going to go back in time."