Newcastlecentric understands the incident occurred just before lunchtime at Ryton Comprehenisve School.

Both the police and fire brigade were informed and arrived to decontaminate the students involved. A specialist from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital also attended to ensure that the children were clear to return home. In all, 10 students suffered burns from the substance.

Sodium hydroxide is better known as caustic soda, and is used in the manufacture of soaps, detergents and as a drain cleaner.

- Police emailed the personal details of suspected criminals to 150 farmers. Members of the Northumberland Farm Watch scheme were stunned when they opened the message to discover the names, dates of birth and addresses of dozens of alleged offenders. [The Journal]

- Gateshead Council says it has no plans to sell an original model of Antony Gormley’s Angel of the North after it became the first £1m object to feature on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow. [Design Week]

- Brave-hearted volunteers are needed to take a Boxing Day dip into the chilly waters at South Shields seafront. It has become a tradition which attracts dozens of charity champs every year, and volunteers are again needed to take the plunge and raise much-needed cash for St Clare’s Hospice in Jarrow. [Shields Gazette]

Photo by kurokaze204 on Flickr. Some rights reserved.

Either way, everyone knows your political leanings now; a list of nearly 13,000 BNP supporters, activists and contacts has been leaked online by an anonymous source.

Although the story is only just breaking in the mainstream media the list appeared on Blogger last night, though its validity was not then known. Statements released by officials on behalf of the right-wing party this morning have confirmed its authenticity.

The list includes the names, address and other personal information of activists, supporters and recent contacts - individuals who are not supporters of the BNP, but have had correspondence with the party.

While the list has now been removed from the blog it was published on, newcastlecentric.com received a copy last night. So how does Newcastle, Sunderland and the rest of Tyne & Wear fare?

On the list are around 300 names and addresses of contacts with Tyne & Wear postcodes. In several instances, members as young as 16-years-old are registered where families have party membership. Also according to the list, there are two households in Fenham and Gateshead where five BNP members are registered as living at the same address.

On the BNP website, leader Nick Griffin claims the list to be outdated and that some people “appeared to have had their names maliciously added by whoever was responsible for the blog posting.”

Tornado, the first new main line steam locomotive to be built in Britain for almost 50 years, hauled her final test train on the Network Rail main line from York to Newcastle last night.

Hundreds of people filled Newcastle Central station to see the engine, which was built by the A1 Trust in Darlington. The test train consisted of 10 carriages and diesel locomotive, equating to about 550 tons, and will run at up to 75mph.

Should the journey have been considered a success by the trust, the locomotive will venture further onto the East Coast Main Line; Tornado will head for Kings Cross in early February next year, when the general public will have its first chance to travel on board. But will it have free wi-fi? That’s what the kids want to know.

Photo by Paul J White on Flickr. Some rights reserved.

- Beer enthusiasts will be able to enjoy 40 cask-conditioned beers from across the world at The Fire Station in Whitley Bay. The festival will run from tomorrow until November 16th, with all beers priced at £1.59 a pint. If ale’s not your thing, there’ll also be limited-edition craft ciders from the USA.

- Detectives investigating an assault on a man in Newcastle have released CCTV of a man they’re seeking in connection with the incident.

- Newcastle’s Byker estate, including the Byker Wall, could be in line for an £80m facelift. Newcastle City council are planning to take on private-sector partners for the work, which includes measures to tackle problems such as community safety, along with more than 100 new houses and plans to remodel the local primary school.

Photo by grewlike on Flickr. Some rights reserved.

- Another day, another broadsheet writes a travel piece about staying at the Grey Street Hotel; come on guys, there’s more than one hotel in Newcastle, surely? And where is the “Grey Street Bar”, exactly?

- Two of three men arrested on suspicion of the murder of Zhen Xing Yang and Xi Zhou in Newcastle have been bailed by Northumbria police.

- More than 500 extra officers are being drafted in to police today’s Wear-Tyne derby. The last time the clubs played at Newcastle a mob of 300 vented their anger outside the Central Station.

Photo by gmwils on Flickr. Some rights reserved