TWO men are seriously ill in hospital after their car was involved in a collision with a stationary lorry.

The Vauxhall Cavalier collided with the parked flatbed lorry in Cotswold Gardens, Lobley Hill, Gateshead, at about 10.20pm on Saturday. Firefighters had to cut the roof off the car to free the occupants. The 22-year-old driver suffered severe head injuries, while his passenger, also 22, suffered chest injuries. Both were taken to Gateshead's Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Two back-seat passengers freed themselves before the fire brigade arrived.

JOBS FAIR: Mature jobseekers have applied for hundreds of Christmas vacancies in the North-East. A three-day jobs fair, which finished yesterday, saw more than 2,000 people visit Gateshead's MetroCentre to speak to more than 30 employers looking to fill 800 posts. A centre spokeswoman said: "The employers were particularly impressed with the older people with life-skills and maturity, who were interested in bringing those qualities to the retail sector." For details on the jobs available, call 0845 6060234.

CYCLIST HURT: A cyclist is recovering in hospital after he was involved in a collision with a car. The accident happened at 6.20pm on Saturday, at the junction of Black Boy Road and the back road to Great Lumley, at Leamside, near Durham. The 54-year-old man was involved in the accident with a green Volkswagen Lupo car. He was taken to Durham's University Hospital with a punctured lung, broken ribs and a broken leg. The car driver was unharmed. Police are appealing for witnesses to call 0191-375 2159.

TOUR STARTS: Tyneside band Lindisfarne start a 30-date national tour at The Gala Theatre, in Durham, on Wednesday, October 1, and finish at Newcastle Opera House on Saturday, November 1. For tickets, call the theatre on 0191-332 4041 or the opera house on 0191-232 0899.

BIKE CRASH: A biker is fighting for his life after being involved in a collision with a car near West Boldon, South Tyneside, at about 4.12pm yesterday. The man, in his 50s, was taken to hospital suffering head and chest injuries and fractures.

STABLE FIRE: A block of stables has been gutted by fire. The flames broke out in the building in Lily Gardens, Flint Hill, near Dipton, County Durham, at about 1.40am on Saturday.

FARM WEB: A website has been launched to help farmers buy and sell online. The service has been set up by Newcastle firm Domaincheck. For details, go to www.efarms.co.uk

GARDEN BLAZE: A fire destroyed wooden decking and garden furniture at a home in Westoe Road, Westoe, South Tyneside, at about 11.30pm on Friday.

GIVE BLOOD: People can give blood at Stanley Community Association, Tyne Road, Stanley, County Durham, from 2pm to 7pm today.