Online voices

STORY:

More than £30,000 has been raised to support an ex-Marine and his family after their home, car and caravan were set alight while they slept in a suspected arson attack.

Richard Reed Solicitors:

What an amazing community we are part of - always super proud of how everyone pulls together to help those in need. Well done on raising such a fantastic amount to help this family.

Joyce Weston: The sooner they catch these people the better, they are a danger to the public.

Nicola Kirtley: This is disgusting!! All because he wants his family and other people to live in a better place! So sad.

Susie Rooks: How can any body do that, it is so terrible.

Jean Rogers: Surely someone knows something about this.

STORY:

A North East town hall was lit up purple this weekend to mark the census as council chiefs stress its importance to communities. Here’s what readers had to say about the national information-gathering exercise.

Graham Scaife: Give us all your personal information, so we can be even more Big Brother.

Ashley Taws: It's got nothing to do with Big Brother. The Census has been around since 1801. It helps in predicting demands of financing for schools, health care and public services to name but a few; something we would all suffer from if there was a lack of it.

Andrew J Dawes: Why oh why do people think this is big brother - no it's a snapshot of who is in the country and where we need to put focus. There should be a section "do you believe in social media conspiracies".

Les Jackson: Like I said the other day, wonder if the people worried about big brother have a passport, driving licence, NI number, TV licence. There is all your personal info already with the government.

Cheryle McDonald: Such a big fuss of something that has been around since the 1800's.