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Teesside stories you might have missed this week

Walter Crinnion A big crowd of people sitting on grass. One person is holding a Spanish flag, the other is holding a Polish flag. Everyone is in traditional folk clothing.Walter Crinnion
Walter Crinnion was a keen amateur photographer

From a lost cache of photographs of a folklore festival to the A66 dualling plan being approved - here are some of the stories from Teesside you might have missed this week.

Stray puppy recruited by police force

Durham Police Jager the Belgian Malinois puppy. He has tan-coloured fur, which is black around his big eyes and nose. His ears are standing up but the tips have flopped down and are pointing at the floor. His head is poking out of a large police dog handler vest.Durham Police
Eight-week-old Jager was found running around the streets of Hartlepool before he was rescued

A police force has gained a new four-legged recruit after it adopted a stray puppy.

Jager, an eight-week-old Belgian Malinois, was found running around the streets of Hartlepool last week before he was taken in by animal charity Stray Aid, Durham Police said.

After seeing the young pup's potential, the organisation contacted the force's Dog Support Unit to see if there was a job for him.

  • Read more about Jager's recruitment into the police here

Hundreds of dead fish in lake after hot weather

Alec Brown Several fish are floating on the surface of a lake among sticks and a tin can. Alec Brown
The fish fatalities have been explained by hot weather and a drop in dissolved oxygen levels

Hundreds of fish have died in a park lake after a significant drop in oxygen levels due to increased water temperatures.

Residents spotted the fish floating on the surface of the lake at Locke Park, Redcar, Teesside.

The Environment Agency (EA) investigated and determined it had been caused by "natural factors".

  • Read more about what happened to the fish here

A66 dualling approved again after review delay

Google A Google Street View screenshot of the A66 at Kirkby Thore in Cumbria. The road is single carriage, with heavy traffic.Google
The government said the work would reduce journey times on the route across northern England by up to 12 minutes

A plan to dual the A66 has been approved again, a year after the government put the scheme on hold.

The project to widen the road, which runs from Penrith to Scotch Corner, was approved by the previous Conservative government, but when Labour won the election last July it put the plan on hold to review a "black hole" in the public purse.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has now confirmed the work in a £92bn national package announced on Tuesday.

  • Read more about the plan to dual the A66 here

Water polo team 'dreaming' of winning top division

Sedgefield Water Polo Club The Sedgefield Water Polo team are gathered in their trunks waving two towels saying Sedgefield Water Polo Club. The whole team look delighted raising their hands in the air.Sedgefield Water Polo Club
Sedgefield Water Polo team have been promoted to Division One of the British Water Polo League

A men's water polo team will be entering Division One and competing for a place in European competitions after four back to back promotions.

The Sedgefield Water Polo Club will represent their County Durham town and nearby Newton Aycliffe in the top flight of the British Water Polo League from September.

The men's team was created in 2021 and started playing at the bottom of the pyramid in Division Five.

  • Read more about the Sedgefield Water Polo team here

Photos showcase early days of folklore festival

Walter Crinnion A 1960s picture showing several young women in red and white dresses with young men in background wearing light blue shirts and talking to each other. They are lined up alongside a brick building. A young man in middle of photo is wearing a Native American outfit with traditional headdress. Walter Crinnion
This year is Billingham International Folklore Festival's 60th anniversary

A treasure trove of previously unseen photographs that showcase the early years of a folklore festival have been revealed.

The images capture the spectacle of the Billingham International Folklore Festival (BIFF) from 1968 to the early 1970s.

The shots were all taken by keen amateur photographer Walter Crinnion before his death in 1974.

  • Read more about the cache of pictures here

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