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Tyneside stories you might have missed this week

Family handout/BBC A composite image of Archie York, left, a little boy with a big smile and brown hair, and the site of the explosion. It shows flats which have been reduced to rubble, and emergency service workers are going through the scene.Family handout/BBC
Archie York was sleeping in his living room when the explosion happened

The jail sentence of man whose illegal cannabis factory exploded and killed a boy has been found not to be too lenient, how a lose aspirin dose could cut cancer for some people and watch the moment when 18 kayakers were rescued from the sea.

Here are five stories from Tyneside you might have missed this week.

Cannabis factory killer's sentence not too lenient

Northumbria Police Mugshot of Reece Galbraith. He has thick ginger hair and a ginger goatee and a very pale face. He is wearing a black t shirt.Northumbria Police
Reece Galbraith admitted two counts of manslaughter

A man whose illegal cannabis factory exploded in a block of flats, killing a seven-year-old boy, will not have his sentence referred to the Court of Appeal over concerns it was too short.

Archie York died alongside 35-year-old Jason Laws when the blast caused by Reece Galbraith, 33, destroyed several homes in Benwell, Newcastle, in October.

At Newcastle Crown Court, Galbraith, of Gateshead, admitted two counts of manslaughter and was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment.

  • Read more about what the Attorney General's Office said here

Watch the moment 18 kayakers were rescued from the sea

The RNLI released bodycam footage of the moment 18 kayakers and paddleboarders were rescued from the sea.

They were part of a group of 32 adults and children who got into difficulty on Tuesday at Cullercoats Bay.

Everyone involved was brought back to safety, although one of the children was taken to hospital as a precaution.

RNLI lifeguard George Legg said the "intense situation" occurred because the kayakers had been caught in force five winds outside the harbour, which created "lots of wind chop".

Low aspirin dose 'cuts cancer risk in some people'

Furniture maker Nick James is in his furniture-making workshop in Newcastle. He is looking at the camera and smiling and wearing his casual clothing. Behind him you can see his wood-working tools on the wall.
Designer Nick James, who has lost most of his family to cancer, was first on the trial

A study to find the right dose of aspirin to reduce the risk of cancer in some patients has found the smallest amount works just as well as larger ones, according to a leading researcher.

The trial involved 1,879 people with Lynch syndrome who were given three different-sized doses of the painkiller.

Prof Sir John Burn, from Newcastle University, said he would ask health regulators to formally advise a low dose of 75mg be prescribed to those with the genetic condition, which puts them at a greater cancer risk.

  • Read more about the trial here

Lamp-posts approved for Northern Lights viewpoint

The Leas, along the coast road at South Shields. A grassy area lies in the foreground, with the sea in the distance and grey, stormy skies above.
The Leas, on the coast road in South Shields, has become a popular spot to see the Northern Lights

The installation of street lighting along a stretch of road which has become popular for viewing the Northern Lights has been approved.

On Wednesday, South Tyneside Council has approved the establishment of lamp-posts along the coast road in South Shields, in order to improve safety along what is a National Cycle Network route.

Campaigners and those living near the Leas nature reserve previously told the BBC the lights would damage wildlife and cause light pollution.

  • Read more about the plans here

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