A SUPER slimmer shed 14 stone in 18 months to complete the world's biggest half marathon.

At one point Gemma Wailes, from Choppington, Northumberland, tipped the scales at more than 25 stone and wore a size 30 dress.

But now she has dropped nine sizes and weighs just 11.5 stone.

Young people are being targeting in a hard-hitting campaign to reduce the number of bonfire and firework-related injuries across Northumberland.

Fireworks injure almost 1000 children in the North of England every year, often resulting in permanent scarring or disfiguration. Now Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service is warning pupils in secondary schools about the dangers in a programme of educational visits.

FREE bus transport for older students is set to leave Northumberland County Council with a £500,000 bill. But councillors last night hailed the scheme to provide passes for A-level and college students as a massive success - and said it was likely to cost much less than feared.

The free pass has seen the number of teenagers using buses more than double, from 800 in July to 1,850 now. The county council took the decision to scrap fares after they rose to £360 a year under the previous Labour administration.

Landmark locations across Northumberland will be seen in a new light this winter with the return of a hugely popular winter festival.

Northumberland Lights - and the award-winning team behind it - are back with more bright ideas for outdoor illuminations.

From November 2 to 30, the winter festival will bathe some of the most beautiful and remote spots from Blyth to the Borders in an array of colour, in celebration of the county's contrasting architectural and natural environment.

A MAJOR £40m road scheme - which aims to cut traffic congestion and boost economic development in South East Northumberland - looks set to be submitted for Government funding approval.

If built, the proposed Morpeth northern bypass would complete a £50m investment in creating a new transport link between the A1 trunk road and the former mining communities of south east Northumberland.

CONCERNS over Northumberland County Council's finances have deepened because it has £230m of debts after taking out £100m in loans.

North East Minister Nick Brown, pictured, said he would be urgently seeking advice over the situation, which comes after it emerged the council has £23m stuck in failed Icelandic banks.

DEDICATED mineworker Ben Harnett has been on a physical and mental journey to hell and back to realise his dream of becoming a competition-winning bodybuilder.

Over the past three months Ben, 27, from Stakeford, has shed four stones in bodyweight on a drastic regime of exercise and dieting, to hone his physique to the point where he won his first bodybuilding title in Doncaster last weekend.

Under the guidance of Northumberland fitness expert and gym owner Ian Simpson, Ben has reduced his weight from 20st 8lbs to about 16st 8lb, and built up his muscle shape through daily gym work and a spartan, low-fat diet.

AN awards ceremony highlighting the best businesses in Wansbeck has doubled in size in just two years.

Bedlington-born TV presenter Jayne Middlemiss hosted last night's second annual Wansbeck Business Awards, which were also addressed by Paul Robertson, editor of The Journal's sister paper the Evening Chronicle, and sponsored again by Rio Tinto Alcan.

The number of awards categories increased from five to 10, ranging from the area's best educational facility to Business of the Year, and the size of the venue for the black tie event was forced to expand.

THE people of Northumberland will be given the final say on the name of their new council, it was decided last night.

Northumberland County Council opted to consult the electorate on what to call the new unitary authority which comes into force next April, in place of itself and the area's six district councils.

Children in Northumberland are to get new and improved facilities for play, after a successful bid for £1m of Government funding.

Northumberland County Council is one of 43 local authorities chosen by Government to become a 'PlayBuilder' authority and be granted additional funding.

The local authority will receive £1.1million over three years from the Department of Children, Schools and Families to transform and create 20 to 25 play areas countywide.