An investigation is to be carried out after fire broke out in a vicarage in Norton. Firefighters had to saw a hole in security boards to get into the building to tackle the blaze in the disused vicarage at The Green, Norton.

Vandals had cut holes in the roof of the building before either pouring flammable liquid or pushing burning material through before the fire broke out at around 7.30pm on Sunday.

NEW BAKERS: Bakers Oven is opening a shop in the Hill Street Centre, Middlesbrough. The flagship unit has an open-plan design, with a takeaway section and caf, as part of a new design in the Bakers Ovens nationally.

CATTERY APPLICATION: Stockton Borough Council has received an application for permission to change a warehouse in Carlton Village to a Boarding Cattery.

Respite care: Plans to create a nursing home to provide respite and other short-term care for children with multiple physical disabilities, learning disabilities, acquired or traumatic head injuries in Granville Avenue, Hartlepool, have been approved.

Town DEVELOPMENT: Developers have submitted an outline application to Stockton Borough Council for permission to build houses, restaurants, a fast-food outlet, a petrol station and a pub on Queens Park North, Norton Road, Stockton. The applicants are Able (UK) Ltd.

FLAT FIRE: Firefighters were called to a third floor flat fire in Redcar at the weekend. Fire crews from Redcar tackled the blaze, in Arden Court, at 7pm on Saturday. It left the second and third floors badly smoke damaged, but no-one was hurt.

HOUSE BLAZE: A fire broke out in Yarm Road, Eaglescliffe on Saturday, just after 6pm. Two fire engines from Thornaby attended, but the fire, which destroyed a gas cooker, was out on arrival, and the ground floor was slightly smoke damaged.

GARAGE damaged: Burning rubbish caused a fire in a garage in Middlesbrough, on Saturday night. Firefighters were called to Cheddar Close, Grangetown at 7pm. The garage was slightly smoke-damaged in the fire.

New takeaway: Councillors in Hartlepool have approved plans to change the use of a bakery and coffee shop in the town's park road into a hot food take-away.

Mayoral visit: The Mayor of Stockton, Councillor Terry Bean, will attend a performance of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at the Stockton and Billingham College Theatre, Billingham today