A 12-year-old girl was indecently assaulted in bushes at the top of a bank near the Oval, in Walker, Newcastle.

A police spokesman said that although it was not known what precise time or date the assault took place, it was believed to have been about ten days ago. The attacker was in his mid-20s, about 5ft 10in, with greying black hair with bald patches on the right side of his head. He was wearing a blue Newcastle United football shirt.

BAND THROUGH: Rock band Fude are in the semi-finals of the National Battle of the Bands at Wolverhampton after a quarter-final victory at the weekend. The four members, Adam Austin, Sam Cull, Jack Hardwick and Matthew Roberts, all students at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, Darlington, went through with second-placed Birmingham band Blakfish. The next round of the contest is in September, with cash and a recording session as prizes.

ROMANIAN EXCHANGE: Romanian teachers are to receive a week of training in dealing with children with special needs at the education training centre at South Bank, near Middlesbrough, this month. They all teach at the Ruth School, Bucharest, Romania's first accredited school for gipsy and street children. In turn, they will give council officials and teachers an understanding of the culture and difficulties encountered by gipsies in Europe, to help meet the needs of ethnic minorities.

WOMAN ROBBED: A 24-year-old woman was robbed of her mobile phone and cash at knifepoint as she returned from a night out in Newcastle. The attack happened in Low Friar Street at 12.35am on Sunday. The suspect was in his late teens, about 5ft 6in, slim, with dark hair.

MUSIC FESTIVAL: North-East music group Gurukul is to stage a two-day festival celebrating Indian classical music. The organisation, which promotes music, will use £3,000 from the National Lottery to stage the event.

HAMMER ROBBER: A hammer-wielding robber fled with the contents of a till after holding up Khaled Newsagents, in Bede Burn Road, Jarrow, South Tyneside, at 10am on Friday. He was about 5ft 9in and of medium build.

MAN INJURED: A man was taken to hospital after suffering facial injuries in a car crash in the Denes area of Darlington. Two vehicles carrying three people collided in Willow Road at 9.15pm on Sunday.