In a 1993 interview with The Independent, the best-selling crime writer Reginald Hill said: "It is easy to mystify. The good mystery writer's real skill lies in clarification." At the time he was in his 23rd year as a published author but was less generally known than he deserved to be for his series of cunningly constructed mysteries featuring Dalziel and Pascoe. That changed when, in 1996, 11 years of successful TV productions began. The 20-odd Dalziel and Pascoe novels were less than half of Hill's output but he long recognised them as his "bankers". The two characters he created – a modern pairing of Falstaff and Hal – are probably the most interesting characters in modern crime fiction.

English cricketers were last night granted a three-month amnesty to report corruption in the game. The offer was made by the England and Wales Cricket Board after the former Essex fast bowler Mervyn Westfield pleaded guilty to accepting a bribe to bowl badly during a match in 2009.

Monty Panesar's timely five-wicket haul today added value to the theory England may yet use him as a second spinner in their Test series against Pakistan.

Former Labour MP Frank Cook, who spent 27 years in the House of Commons, has died at the age of 76.

Police were called to the home of the Peterlee killer Michael Atherton four times in two years over domestic violence incidents.

£47m plan to provide hundreds of pitches

As first-footings go, three winners at Catterick on New Year's Day was the most cheering of thresholds for one of the unluckiest jockeys of 2011. Last June, Wilson Renwick was concussed in a fall at Hexham. By the time he returned, his principal patron had reacted to a four-year disqualification – on various welfare charges – by retiring altogether. Luckily, as things turned out, auld acquaintance would not be forgotten.

Durham police under scrutiny for decision after family member raised concerns

A taxi driver who murdered his partner, her sister and her sister's daughter before shooting himself at the family home on New Year's Day held licences for six weapons and was known to police from three years earlier after threatening to harm himself.

A man who shot himself after killing three women on New Year's Day was a licensed holder of firearms, it has emerged.

Metal theft from churches hit a record high last year as scrapyards warned that pilot regulation threatens to put them out of business and push illegal activity elsewhere.

Taufiq Umar completed his seventh Test century as Pakistan, England's opponents in the new year, closed in on a first-innings lead by reaching 292 for 3 before bad light ended play on the third day of the second Test against Bangladesh yesterday.

A council has been criticised for awarding a multi-million-pound wheelie bin contract to a German firm despite a British company coming in with a quote which was £250,000 cheaper.

After balmy weeks in which daffodils bloomed and songbirds were baffled, winter finally arrived in earnest yesterday with people in many parts of Britain waking up to the first major snowfalls of the season. Severe weather warnings were in place for Scotland, Northern Ireland and most of northern England after nearly 48 hours of flurries brought with them winter scenes and perhaps premature predictions of a white Christmas.