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Get the latest Northumberland news and updates delivered straight to your inbox All they want to do is cradle their newborn baby in their arms. But Bedlington parents Carly Walker and Ryan Murphy have been forced to watch from the sidelines as their daughter fights for her life. Little Ayda Faith Murphy was born prematurely on March 31, weighing just 4lbs, at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary. Rushed for her first operation straight after birth and another at just four days old, she's battling terrifying odds after being diagnosed with a series of incredibly rare birth defects. An almost unique variant of gastroschisis, a defect of the abdominal wall, has left her intestines pushing up into her chest - a condition doctors estimate is suffered by no more than 10 babies worldwide. Meanwhile, her heart appears to have flipped over and lies on the wrong side of her chest, while she's receiving oxygen from a machine due to her underdeveloped lungs. Keep up-to-date with all the latest news in the county by visiting our Northumberland Live homepage. You can sign up to our daily Northumberland newsletter here. Facebook: Here's our main Northumberland page. Twitter: You can follow the Northumberland Live page here. Find The Journal's Northumberland editions on the British Newspaper Archive here.

Get the latest Northumberland news and updates delivered straight to your inbox The daughter of a learner motorcyclist who died in a smash during his first lesson is raising money in his memory for the medics who came to his aid. Darren Jobling, 50, was thrown from his bike and crashed into a tree on Front Street West in Bedlington, Northumberland in July, 2019. The Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) and North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) attended the scene and found that Mr Jobling had sustained severe chest injuries. He was taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle by a NEAS road crew, accompanied by the critical care team from GNAAS. His daughter Danielle Jobling, 25, said: “GNAAS were there to assist straight away. They placed my dad in a coma and ensured he was comfortable.” Sadly, Mr Jobling, from Stakeford, Northumberland died a few hours later as a result of his injuries.

Sign up to our newsletter for the latest Northumberland news A stalker who was warned to leave his victim alone after a terrifying campaign of harassment which included rape threats contacted her online to profess his love. Robert Edington was put on a suspended prison sentence and given a restraining order in October after leaving his ex partner terrified by bombarding her with calls and repeatedly turning up at her workplace and her friend's home. The TV aerial engineer could not accept the end of his two-and-a-half year relationship and tried to use threats to himself and her to force her to change her mind. Last year's hearing heard he made up to 100 unwanted calls to her a day and even followed her into the female toilets of a pub, peering over the cubicle. Now he has been back in court after contacting her online in breach of the restraining order. She had made her Instagram account private in order to prevent him messaging her but when it was changed to a business account, it automatically became public.

Sign up to our newsletter for the latest Northumberland news A pervert who searched for "pre-teen hardcore" online was found with two sick images of a child. Police discovered the indecent photos, which involved two girls, one as young as six and the other eight, on Darren Russell's laptop when they searched his Newcastle home. North Tyneside Magistrates' Court heard that the pictures showed the girls with their breasts and genitals exposed and one also had an adult male in the shot. Russell was arrested but admitted in interview he'd been sent a number of vile images of youngsters after viewing and sharing adult porn online but had deleted all but two of them. Now, the 43-year-old, formerly of Newcastle but now living in Hudson Avenue, in Bedlington, is facing a possible prison sentence after he pleaded guilty to two counts of making an indecent photograph of a child. Prosecutor, Iain Jordan, said police searched Russell's then home on Moorside, Great Lime Road, on May 11 last year.

Sign up to our newsletter for the latest Northumberland news A banned driver crashed into a wall and sped off from police down alleyways while riding an off-road bike. Motor menace David Morrison, who has an appalling record for bad driving, wasn't wearing a crash helmet when he decided to take the bike around streets in Bedlington, Northumberland. However, the 32-year-old quickly rode off at speed when he realised he'd been spotted by officers and travelled along Rothesay Terrace and Terrier Close and adjoining alleyways. A court heard that Morrison, who has since been given a prison sentence for dangerous driving after he tried to ram police cars, refused to stop, despite crashing into a wall. He did manage to flee the scene but was later arrested at his home address in Stokers Buildings, in Bedlington. Morrison appeared at North Tyneside Magistrates' Court via video link from HMP Durham on Tuesday, where he pleaded guilty to careless driving, driving with no insurance, riding a bike without a helmet and driving while disqualified.

Sign up to our newsletter for the latest Northumberland news A shocked onlooker claims huge groups of mourners gathered for two funeral in Bedlington. Current Covid-19 rules forbid no more than 30 guests attending a funeral. However, one local claimed hundreds came to pay their final respects at a pair of recent send-offs at West Lea Cemetery. "I'm fuming that people think the rules don't apply to them," said the witness, who asked to remain anonymous. "It may seem heartless to complain about people paying respects but I've lost members of my family during this pandemic who were only allowed six mourners. "During lockdown I'm playing by the rules and just going out once a day for a walk and I'm used to having to step aside or cross the road to give other people space, but I don't expect to be seeing something akin to crowds coming out of a football match on a regular basis"

Sign up to our newsletter for the latest Northumberland news Northumbria Police have praised the bravery of three abuse victims after the paedophile who preyed on them was brought to justice. Colin William Proctor, 48, has been found guilty of five counts of sexual assault. The victims, who were schoolchildren at the time, bravely came forward about the abuse which took place over a number of years from 2009. Police charged Proctor with five counts of sexual assault – but he denied all of the offences. However, on Wednesday, January 27. a jury at Newcastle Crown Court found him guilty of all five counts. Proctor, of Melrose Avenue, Bedlington has been remanded in custody ahead of sentencing at a later date.

Sign up to our newsletter for the latest Northumberland news A haul of drugs disguised as sweets has been seized by police. Two men have been arrested following two separate discoveries in Bedlington and North Shields, this weekend. On Saturday, officers from Bedlington Neighbourhood Policing Team executed a warrant at a home on Jubilee Terrace. They found a haul of what police have described as 'psychoactive substances', packaged like sweets, which were seized along with £1,000 in cash. Officers also discovered a cannabis farm in a spare room. Two men, aged 28 and 20, were arrested on suspicion of drug offences. They have since been released under investigation.