Firefighters extinguished a blaze which broke out in an industrial oven at Armstrong World Industries, Kingsway South, on the Team Valley Trading Estate, Gateshead, at 9.30am yesterday.

A spokesman for the Tyne and Wear Fire Brigade said the building had been heavily smoke logged and some fibreboards destroyed. The fire broke out when a fibreboard became stuck in an oven and ignited.

EXOTIC ANIMALS: The Exotic Animal Welfare Trust will hold its first open day at its new 22-acre site at Tow Law from 10am to 4pm on Bank Holiday Monday. For £5, members of the public will have the opportunity to dedicate a tree to a loved one - animal or human. Birds of prey, reptiles and ferrets will be on hand at the home of what was the Reptile Trust. A caf and licensed bar are available and there is easy disabled access.

CITIES SUMMIT: This year's Core Cities Summit will be held at Newcastle's Civic Centre on June 5 and 6. The summit hopes to attract about 200 delegates, including key business representatives from each of the Core Cities Network which includes, Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds and Liverpool. This year the focus will be on urban regeneration.

FLOWER SHOW: A demonstration called This Rich Earth by Diana Joyce from Swindon will take place at the next meeting of Darlington Flower Club to be held on Wednesday, June 4, at 2pm, in St Cuthbert's Church Centre, in Darlington

MAYORAL CANDIDATE: The National Front has announced it is to field a candidate in the forthcoming North Tyneside mayoral elections. He is Robert Nigel Batten, 53, of North Tyneside.

BOY BAND: Former chart-topping boy band East 17 will be singing live on the Tuxedo Princess, Hillgate Quay, Gateshead, on Monday as part of its series of 90s revival nights. Entry is free until 10pm.