A 43-year-old man was committed for trial at Teesside Crown Court when he appeared before magistrates on child pornography charges yesterday. Joseph Robert Catterson, of William Street, Chester-le-Street, faces 16 charges of making indecent photographs of children and one of possessing 1,470 indecent images of children. The allegations relate to a period between January 1, 2001 and March 4 last year. Mr Catterson was granted unconditional bail by the bench at Newton Aycliffe and no date for a crown court hearing was set.

VILLAGE ROADWORKS: Work on the first phase of plans to reduce speeds in Sadberge, near Darlington, will take place during the week starting March 20. The work will include painting ripple strips on the approaches to the north and south of the village. Hill House Lane will be shut for two days while the work is carried out with diversions in place. Letters are to be sent to residents and Darlington Borough Council will erect signs to inform them of the dates for the work.

MURDER ACCUSED: Steven Hamilton, 18, of the Poplars Marley Pots, Southwick, Sunderland, appeared before Sunderland magistrates yesterday charged with the murder of his father Stephen Herbert Hamilton, 42. Mr Hamilton senior died of multiple stab wounds on Saturday. Steven Hamilton was not asked to plead and was remanded in custody to appear at Newcastle Crown Court on Tuesday.

JAZZ NIGHT: The Geoff Eales Trio, will play music by jazz legends such as Fats Waller, Dave Brubeck and Oscar Peterson, during a concert at the Witham Hall, Market Place, Barnard Castle, County Durham. Tickets for the event, on Sunday, at 8pm, are £6 for adults and £4 for children. For details, call the box office on (01833) 631107.

MANAGER'S CREDIT: The NatWest Bank's Durham City branch manager, Andrea Richardson, received an award for being one of the company's top employees at a gala dinner at The Royal Armouries, in Leeds. She thanked her colleagues at the branch.

HEALTH CONFERENCE: Nearly 100 North-East health professionals who specialise in infection control are due to discuss ways of combating hospital infections such as MRSA today. The conference at the Quayside Exchange, in Sunderland, has been organised by the Health Protection Agency