TWIN children missing from their North-East home have been found safe and well.

A police hunt was sparked after 11-year-olds Dean and Dawn Bartley disappeared from the family home in the Lemington area of Newcastle on Wednesday morning. Police picked the pair up in Newcastle city centre later that night following a tip-off from a member of the public.

MAN QUESTIONED: A 35-year-old man from the Hebburn area of Tyneside was last night helping police with their inquiries, following a raid of the Lloyds TSB bank in Jarrow earlier this week.

YOUNG BURGLAR: A teenager admitted burgling 11 houses in three weeks and stealing property worth thousands of pounds. The 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to the raids on houses in Middlesbrough, starting on June 3 and ending with a burglary with intent to steal on June 24. At Teesside Crown Court yesterday, he was remanded in custody for 28 days for assessment and a psychiatric report before sentence.

TEENAGER BAILED: An 18-year-old man handed himself into police in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, on Wednesday night following an investigation into a serious assault. Ron Patterson, 35, is still in hospital after he was attacked in Skipton Road on the night of July 27. The teenager was arrested and interviewed before being released on bail. One man had already been arrested and is still on police bail.

JEWELLERY RAID: Thieves broke into a large country house in West Layton, near Richmond, North Yorkshire, yesterday and stole a large quantity of jewellery. They gained entry by forcing a window while the homeowner was away. The raid occurred between 8am and 11.45am and anyone with information should contact Richmond police on (01748) 823055.

CUT-PRICE FLIGHTS: Last minute holidaymakers in the region have got from today until midnight on Monday to get hold of cut-price airline tickets to Ireland. Ryanair is offering one-way tickets from Teesside Airport to Dublin for just £19.99 as part of a nationwide seat sale, and the company is expecting a massive response. The tickets can only be used between September 17 and December 17. For further details visit the website at www.ryanair.com

RAIL VOLUNTEERS: The Weardale Railway Trust is appealing for more volunteers to help restore track between Stanhope and Bishop Auckland. The group has 400 members but only about 30 are able to work on the track, which they hope will reopen by 2004. To get involved, call Kevin Hillary on (01388) 775126 or Dave Foxton on (01388) 817901.

POKEMON TOUR: First, the cartoon, then the movie, now Pokemon Live! a multi-million dollar Broadway-style stage show is coming to the region. The multi-media action adventure based on the phenomenally successful Japanese video game. The show will be at the Newcastle Telewest Arena on Saturday, October 19, at 2pm and 5.30pm. For tickets call 0870 707 8000.

METRO GOAL: Sunderland's Premiership home defeat by Everton brought thousands of extra passengers on to the city's Tyne and Wear Metro extension. Bosses say tickets sales were up 192 per cent at St Peter's Station.