A man remains in hospital following a house fire in Cessnock this morning.
About 7.30am today (Sunday 10 July 2016), emergency services were called to Kanowna Avenue, Cessnock, where they found a house well-alight.

NSW Fire & Rescue officers attended and extinguished the fire; however, the home was completely destroyed.

A 34-year-old man was in the home at the time of the incident.

NSW Ambulance Paramedics attended and treated him before he was taken to Cessnock Hospital, prior to being flown to the Royal North Shore Hospital.

The man was placed in intensive care, and remains in a serious, but stable, condition.
Officers from Central Hunter Local Area Command established a crime scene and commenced investigating the incident.

The fire is believed to have started with a heater and is not being treated as suspicious.

A woman has been charged following the alleged assault of an 84-year-old woman in Newcastle last week.

About 2.30pm on Friday (8 July 2016), an 84-year-old woman was walking on Hunter Street, Newcastle, where it is alleged that a 50-year-old woman struck the older woman’s shoulder causing her to fall heavily to the ground hitting her head on the pavement.

The injured woman was treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance Paramedics, before being taken to John Hunter Hospital for treatment for a fractured hip. She is currently in a stable condition.

Officers attached to Newcastle City Local Area Command attended and commenced investigations.

About 11am yesterday (Saturday 9 July 2016), officers attached to Newcastle City Local Area Command arrested a 50-year-old woman, and took her to Newcastle City Police Station where she was charged with reckless wounding cause grievous bodily harm.

The woman was refused bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court today (Sunday 10 July 2016).

Police have charged a man after seizing 11 cannabis plants in Lake Macquarie.

In May 2016, Lake Macquarie Target Action Group commenced an investigation into the growth and supply of cannabis.

Following investigations police attended a home on George Street, Marmong Point about 10.30am yesterday (Friday 8 July 2016).

During a search of the home, police allegedly located 11 cannabis plants, cannabis leaf and cannabis oil. All items were seized for forensic examination.

Officers attached to Lake Macquarie Local Area Command arrested a 63-year-old man.

He was taken to Belmont Police Station where he was charged with supply drug, possess drug over an indictable quantity and less then commercial quantity and eleven counts of possess prohibited drug and cultivate cannabis plants.

The man was granted conditional bail to appear at Toronto Local Court on Tuesday 26 July 2016.

Police have charged a man and a woman with numerous break-ins and property offences allegedly committed across the Hunter region this month.

On Wednesday 6 July 2016, a rural property at Eaglton was broken into and personal items were stolen from the home, including two firearms stolen from a shed.

The same day, a residence at Fullerton Cove was broken into and property including two firearms were stolen from the garage.

Following further investigations into large scale mail theft, about 2.30pm on Thursday 7 July 2016 officers from Port Stepehens Local Area Command attended a unit on Cook Street, Raymond Terrace.

A 23-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman were arrested and taken to Raymond Terrace Police Station.

A search warrant was executed and police located hundreds of mail items, numerous items of jewellery, property from the break-ins, a replica firearm, and ammunition.

The man was charged with aggravated break, enter and steal, dishonestly obain finaical advantage by deception, two counts of larceny, two counts of goods in custody and an outstanding bench warrant.

The woman was charged with aggravated break, enter and steal, dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception and goods in custody.

Both were refused bail and appeared at Maitland Local Court today. The man will reappear at Newcastle Local Court on 13 July 2016. The woman will reappear at Newcastle Local Court on Wednesday 20 July 2016.

Police are appealing for public assistance to help locate a man wanted on an arrest warrant in Newcastle.

Michael John Collins, aged 37, is described as white Caucasian appearance, 160cm to 165cm tall, thin build, fair complexion, with blonde hair.

He is known to frequent Newcastle, Bar Beach and Mt Druitt.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact Newcastle Police on (02) 4929 0999 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Police are appealing for public assistance to help locate a man wanted on an arrest warrant in Newcastle.

Keiran James Hogan, aged 22, is described as white Caucasian appearance, 175cm to 180cm tall, solid build, fair complexion, and blonde hair.

He is known to frequent Newcastle, Hogan, Maryland, Newtown and Stockton.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact Newcastle Police on (02) 4929 0999 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

A man will appear in court today after being charged with firearm offences earlier this week.

About 11pm (Wednesday 6 July 2016), police from Wagga Wagga Local Area Command were involved in a pursuit with a white Toyota utility which was later found abandoned in Phillip Avenue, Mt Austin.

During a search of the vehicle, officers located two firearms, a rifle and a revolver.

Yesterday (Thursday 7 July 2016), a 32-year-old man attended Wagga Wagga Police Station. The man is subject to a Firearms Prohibition Order.

He was arrested and charged with acquire firearm, acquire pistol and acquire ammunition. All charges are subject to the Firearms Prohibition Order.

The man was refused bail and will appear at Wagga Wagga Local Court today (Friday 8 July 2016).

A report is being prepared for the Coroner after the death of a woman tonight near Booragul in the state’s north.

Emergency services were called to train tracks just north of the local railway station about 6.25pm (Thursday 7 July 2016).

The body of an adult woman was discovered on the tracks.

Inquiries into the events leading up to the woman’s death are still continuing.

Train services in the area have been halted while inquiries are carried out at the scene. Buses are replacing trains between Fassifern and Hamilton.

Updates on train services can be found at www.transportnsw.info

There are no further details available at this time.

A man has been charged following an alleged aggravated break and enter in Toronto yesterday afternoon.

About 4.30pm (Wednesday 6 July 2016), a 31-year-old man allegedly entered the backyard of a home on Anzac Parade, and approached the back door of the premises, demanding to be let in.

Police will allege the man retrieved an axe from the side of the property, before returning to the back door, smashing the glass, and entering the premises.

A 19-year-old girl and 16-year-old boy in the house alerted police, and officers attached to Lake Macquarie Local Area Command attended and arrested the man at the front of the property.

The teenagers were uninjured during the incident.

The man was taken to Toronto Police Station, where he was charged with aggravated break and enter and commit serious indictable offence, destroy/damage property, and larceny.

He was refused bail, to appear at Newcastle Local Court today (Thursday 7 July 2016).

The man is not known to the teenagers.

A man will face court next month after he allegedly damaged a toilet block near Redhead Beach.

Police will allege the man stole aerosol cans from a local supermarket at The Junction about 8pm on Tuesday 28 June 2016.

He later walked to Redhead Beach and allegedly used the stolen items to set fire to a disabled toilet block.

The man then fled the scene.

Police from Lake Macquarie Local Area Command were called to the location and commenced investigations.

Following ongoing inquiries into the incident, investigators attended a home in Windale about 10.30am today (Wednesday 7 July 2016), where they arrested a 20-year-old man.

He was taken to Belmont Police Station where he was charged with maliciously damage property, and shoplifting.

The man was granted conditional bail and will appear in Belmont Local Court on Wednesday 24 August 2016.