CHRISTMAS EVENT: Whitworth Hall, near Spennymoor, County Durham, will hold an Xmas Extravaganza in aid of Breast Cancer Care on Wednesday, November 28. A luncheon, from noon to 2pm, will include a welcome drink, two-course lunch and coffee, with a fashion show and entertainment by Diane James and Lea Martin. Tickets are £19.95 each. The evening function, from 7pm to 10pm, will include a welcome drink, nibbles and a fashion show. Entertainment will again come from Diane James and Lea Martin. Tickets are £10 each. There will be various stalls. To book, call 0191-4773767 or 01388-811722.

BINS REMINDER: Durham County Council is reminding people to let it know if they still need its assisted bin collections service. The council, which is updating its list, has written to some residents who get the service and will be contacting others over coming months. For more information, visit durham.gov.uk/assistedcollections

VOLUNTEERS WANTED: The British Red Cross is looking for people to help it raise money to replace its ageing fleet of wheelchairs. The charity gives people wheelchairs on free short-term loans. Three hundred wheelchairs would cost £45,000. To get involved, call Margaret Musgrave on 0191-2737961.

GOVERNOR TALKS: Durham Prison governor Tim Allen will address a public meeting on Thursday (November 8) at the Gala Theatre, Durham. His subject is: Venturing into the unknown – opportunities and threats to resettlement work posed by the prison competition process. Mr Allen’s talk will follow the annual general meeting of the Nepacs charity, which works with prisoners and their families, which starts at 7pm.

ASBESTOS DEATHS: Isobell Lovett, an industrial disease specialist at Irwin Mitchell law firm, in Newcastle, has expressed her disappointment after Health and Safety Executive figures showed the male and female death rate for mesothelioma, the asbestos-related cancer, has risen in the North-East in the past decade. It is expected to rise until around 2016, she said.

PHONE STOLEN: British Transport Police are investigating after a 17-year-old girl had her mobile phone snatched on board a Metro train heading towards South Hylton, Sunderland, on Monday, October 22. The victim was travelling with her sister. Around 4.10pm, when her train arrived at Pallion station, a man approached her and snatched the mobile phone from her hands. Anyone with information is asked to call 0800-40-50-40.