Man charged with making and keeping explosives after bomb alert in North East

Mark Thomas Gilhespy, 50, of Beltingham in West Denton, was arrested after a major incident in a property in Newcastle yesterday afternoon.

He will appear at North Tyneside Magistrates' Court today.

The bomb squad was called in and searches carried out in the street in West Denton, which are expected to go on until this evening.

A Northumbria Police spokesman said: "There should be no impact to local residents and we continue to emphasise that there is no risk to the public.

"We would like to thank the local community in West Denton for their patience and support during this operation and our partner agencies for their assistance. "