:00:09. > :00:15.Two men have been arrested on suspicion of murder
:00:16. > :00:15.after the discovery of a woman's body in Middlesbrough.
:00:16. > :00:19.Police say the 44-year-old was found late last night
:00:20. > :00:22.Two men, aged 21 and 53 are being held.
:00:23. > :00:25.Detectives are asking anyone who might have seen anything
:00:26. > :00:33.Last minute Christmas shoppers have been making their final dashes
:00:34. > :00:35.around the North's stores ahead of the holiday weekend.
:00:36. > :00:37.Hundreds of thousands of people hit the shops today
:00:38. > :00:44.Some stores were hoping to cash in by staying open until nine
:00:45. > :00:50.Our first report is from Peter Harris in Middlesbrough.
:00:51. > :00:53.Frenzied Friday, they call it, and they are not wrong.
:00:54. > :00:59.He's been working up until yesterday so, yeah, last minute.
:01:00. > :01:03.We have had to move the car twice, we've been here that long.
:01:04. > :01:07.Children screaming and laughing and it's lovely.
:01:08. > :01:10.Today was due to be the busiest shopping day
:01:11. > :01:14.of all and if Christmas Day does at least offer some respite it
:01:15. > :01:18.won't be for long because one shop here in Middlesbrough is due to open
:01:19. > :01:21.at 6am on Boxing Day morning at the start of the sales.
:01:22. > :01:29.Some think the commercialism is just too much these days.
:01:30. > :01:33.Well, I always have a look down the road that this time of year
:01:34. > :01:35.and see how many people I see smile, it's not very many.
:01:36. > :01:39.I know that we have to shop, but why do the shops have to be open
:01:40. > :01:41.at 6am on Boxing Day, why is it 6am?
:01:42. > :01:45.Why is it necessary to open so early?
:01:46. > :01:48.Back at the shops the throng goes on.
:01:49. > :01:57.There's nothing quite like leaving it to the last minute.
:01:58. > :01:59.At the Bridges shopping centre in Sunderland people
:02:00. > :02:03.were grabbing their final gifts on what was said to be the busiest
:02:04. > :02:09.A couple more things to get and I am completely done.
:02:10. > :02:12.Car parks are full but everyone is just getting on with it, it's great.
:02:13. > :02:15.We used to have to wait until January for the sale
:02:16. > :02:17.but nowadays there are bargains to be had throughout December.
:02:18. > :02:22.But the next big shopping day is still going to be Boxing Day
:02:23. > :02:26.I think once customers have spent one day away from shopping
:02:27. > :02:28.they actually really love to come out on Boxing Day.
:02:29. > :02:33.We will expect around 90,000 people to be with us today and probably
:02:34. > :02:35.between 70,000 and 80,000 on Boxing Day.
:02:36. > :02:38.The unions argue opening the day before and after Christmas
:02:39. > :02:46.Sometimes Boxing Day is their Christmas Day
:02:47. > :02:48.to see their children and because they're having to come
:02:49. > :02:52.out and work they are missing out on that time with their families.
:02:53. > :02:54.The shoppers seem to already know though if they'd be
:02:55. > :02:59.This is the only time time I shop this time of year and I will not be
:03:00. > :03:02.Come on, it's the sales, we're women!
:03:03. > :03:07.Some at the Bridges already seemed relaxed, even in the Christmas.
:03:08. > :03:10.You look very calm, have you done your Christmas shopping?
:03:11. > :03:12.On my wife has done the Christmas shopping,
:03:13. > :03:23.Meanwhile the emergency services were telling people not to overdo it
:03:24. > :03:27.if they were out on the town tonight enjoying a festive
:03:28. > :03:34.The North East Ambulance service has attended nearly
:03:35. > :03:37.1,000 incidents today, and in many cases they've responded
:03:38. > :03:39.to people hurting themselves after drinking too much.
:03:40. > :03:41.Here's our News Correspondent Mark Denten.
:03:42. > :03:43.You could call it the calm before the storm, only
:03:44. > :03:46.the storm came first, keeping early revellers away
:03:47. > :03:52.But until at least January 2nd - yes, that's a bank holiday too -
:03:53. > :03:56.ten days of partying for some people.
:03:57. > :03:59.More than 10% of the North East ambulance services calls this week
:04:00. > :04:02.have been drink related, and those figures are expected
:04:03. > :04:06.to rise, so this year ambulance crews and police have a new way
:04:07. > :04:22.Operation Ginger puts a police officer and a paramedic in a vehicle
:04:23. > :04:24.together to provide swift intervention and triage and
:04:25. > :04:24.treatment for people who make coming to harm.
:04:25. > :04:28.This is the safe haven van, designed to be a place where people
:04:29. > :04:30.who are worse for wear and vulnerable can get help.
:04:31. > :04:34.Newcastle's street pastors will also play a vital role.
:04:35. > :04:40.Might get a call from police officers where someone is in a
:04:41. > :04:44.vulnerable state, especially of the night goes on, vulnerable females,
:04:45. > :04:48.and they just want us to be a presence and often we will go there
:04:49. > :04:53.and relieve the other services. Last year we gave first aid to over 400
:04:54. > :04:54.people. They can save getting an ambulance because we will get them
:04:55. > :04:56.back on their feet. This mobile medical unit will also
:04:57. > :04:58.be in the Bigg Market over the holiday period to treat minor
:04:59. > :05:01.injuries, but the ambulence service could do without some
:05:02. > :05:04.of the calls its had this week. From a drunk person stuck
:05:05. > :05:06.in a hole in roadworks. Another who'd had one
:05:07. > :05:08.drink too many, asking And a patient pulling
:05:09. > :05:21.a garden gate on themselves. We are still responding to people
:05:22. > :05:24.with chest pain and people unconscious with breathing
:05:25. > :05:28.difficulties so for every ambulance that we had to send to someone for a
:05:29. > :05:32.trivial matter because of alcohol induced matter, that is an ambulance
:05:33. > :05:33.that is being diverted away from someone who is maybe having a more
:05:34. > :05:34.life-threatening condition. The message is stay safe,
:05:35. > :05:37.but remember the people working Well, I will wish
:05:38. > :05:42.you a Happy Christmas. And if you're on the move
:05:43. > :05:46.over the next few days, let's find out what our weather's
:05:47. > :05:58.got in store, with Paul. Storm Barbara brought winds in
:05:59. > :06:04.excess of 60 miles an hour and that in turn left many homes in Cumbria
:06:05. > :06:08.without power this afternoon in areas like Maryport and Seascale.
:06:09. > :06:13.That storm is pulling away now and leaves a legacy of windy weather
:06:14. > :06:17.tonight. A mix of blustery showers and clear intervals in between.
:06:18. > :06:22.Temperatures will drop down to about three or 4 degrees. It is too windy
:06:23. > :06:26.for frost. Christmas Eve starts with the same mix of sunny spells and
:06:27. > :06:29.scattered blustery showers under strong wind throughout the day.
:06:30. > :06:31.Towards the end of the day the showers merge into a longer spell of
:06:32. > :06:48.rain across parts of Cumbria and temperatures
:06:49. > :06:50.will peak at eight or nine. It will feel colder in those gusty winds.
:06:51. > :06:53.The winds are feature of the weather throughout the next few days.
:06:54. > :06:55.Christmas Day has Stallman Conor in the north bringing gusty winds
:06:56. > :06:57.again. Boxing Day states windy before things start to quieten down
:06:58. > :07:00.tax to the high pressure building from the West. There is a Met Office
:07:01. > :07:05.warning for Christmas Day due to the strength of the winds. Most places
:07:06. > :07:11.dry and mild, very mild. The rain will start to spread down from the
:07:12. > :07:16.north-west later on. A stark contrast for Boxing Day, it is much
:07:17. > :07:21.drier and brighter but much cooler, even though it stays windy for the
:07:22. > :07:26.bulk of the day. Keep up-to-date with a forecast on the BBC weather
:07:27. > :07:29.app and on your BBC local radio station. Now for the summary. A safe
:07:30. > :07:33.and happy Christmas. big day? Christmas Day. It will stay
:07:34. > :07:35.mild and temperatures could reach 14, 15. He is down bet that the
:07:36. > :07:45.national picture. It will be more northern parts of
:07:46. > :07:54.the UK that see the worst of the weather. Another storm is developing
:07:55. > :07:57.in the Atlantic. This will turn into Storm Connor. This cloud has wrapped
:07:58. > :07:58.around storm