March
The mass burial of culled animals begins in Cumbria as the number of foot-and-mouth cases hits 780; a summer heatwave is predicted and Donald Campbell's Bluebird is raised from Coniston Water.
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Freed hostage Tim Selby flew home to Newcastle for an emotional reunion with his family.
Bluebird is raised from Coniston
Divers raise the wreck of Donald Campbell's boat Bluebird from the bottom of Coniston Water in Cumbria. It has lain there for 34 years since the accident in which Campbell was killed while trying to break the world water speed record.
Artwork by LS Lowry given to waitresses at the Seaburn Hotel in Sunderland emerged 25 years after his death. The rough sketches were drawn for staff at the artist's favourite hotel, where he spent much of his time in later years.
Hibernia Foods in Peterlee announces closure with 200 job losses.
Former TV presenter and producer Muriel Young is found dead at her home in Stanhope, County Durham. She was 77.
North-East comedy actor Rowan Atkinson averts an air tragedy by taking the controls of a flight after the pilot passes out.
Culled sheep buried at old airfield
The burial of 200,000 sheep culled because of foot-and-mouth begins at the disused Great Orton airfield in Cumbria.
Appleby Horse Fair due to take place in June is cancelled for the first time since 1750.
Northumbria Tourist Board chief executive Peter Sloyan warns that disaster threatens rural businesses.
French officials stop a North-East lorry on a mercy mission to Romanian orphanages - after discovering its cargo contains 500 Cadbury's Creme Eggs which they fear could have been made with the milk from infected British cows.
There are now 780 cases of foot-and-mouth in the UK, 373 of them in the North East and Cumbria.
The hottest British summer for five years is predicted with a string of heatwaves expected to begin in May.
Steel workers are given a stay of execution after Corus agrees to consider union rescue plans.
Marks and Spencer announces the sale of its US operations and closure of all its European stores to concentrate on UK business and halt falling sales and profits.
Buckingham Palace confirms that Princess Margaret has suffered a third stroke.
Historic Wilton Castle near Redcar is set to be converted into 45 luxury homes.
The new £97m University Hospital of North Durham opens. It replaces Dryburn Hospital.
Copyright (c) 2000-2001 Sue Kelly