A terraced house in Cross Street, Easington Colliery, was severely damaged in a fire which started just after midnight yesterday.

No-one was inside at the time. The cause of the blaze is being investigated.

HOMES PLANS: Two planning applications for homes in Derwentside come before the district council today. Anvil Homes is applying to build 12 homes behind Benfieldside Road, in Benfieldside. Dunelm Homes wants to build 28 houses next to the cricket ground in Quaking Houses, near Stanley.

RAMBLING FUN: Voluntary countryside rangers Gloria and Neville Anderson will lead a six-mile walk in the Beamish and Causey Arch area on Sunday. It will start at 10.30am from the Eden Place Picnic Area, near Beamish Museum. It costs £2, and £1 for concessions.

CHURCH SALE: A sale and coffee morning will be held on Saturday, between 9.30am and 1pm in Durham Town Hall, to raise money for St Cuthbert's and St Aidan's Church. Admission is free.

MACHINE PLAN: Durham City Council is being asked to grant planning permission and listed building consent for a cash machine at Barclays Bank, in Durham's Market Place.

HOUSE ROCK: Beamish Mary House Band will perform at the Beamish Mary Inn, No Place, near Stanley, tomorrow. Doors open at 8.30pm and admission is £1.50.

ROOF BLAZE: Firefighters were called to Westlea Social Club, in Seaham, at 10.30am yesterday. They extinguished a small roof fire at the two-storey building.

HOUSE FIRE: Fire gutted the ground floor of a house in Warwick Avenue, Moorside, near Consett, yesterday. Firefighters were called shortly after midnight to the semi-detached home. Two appliances spent two hours dealing with the blaze.

ADVICE SESSIONS: Durham Citizens Advice Bureau is holding drop-in advice sessions today at Brandon Community Hall between 11am and 12.15pm, at New Brancepeth Village Hall, from 12.30pm to 1.30pm and at West Rainton Jubilee Hall, between 2pm and 3pm.

HEALING SESSION: The National Federation of Spiritualist Healers will hold a healing session on Saturday, between 1.30pm and 4pm in The Shakespeare Hall, North Road, Durham. Sessions are held on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month.

PUBLIC LECTURE: Dr Brian Moffatt will give a talk on archaeological finds at the Soutra Hospital, Cumbria, on Saturday, at 2pm, in the Pennington Room, Grey College, South Road, Durham. Anyone planning to attend is asked to call Professor Donald Lee on (01434) 675321.