POLICE ADVICE: Homeowners have been warned to make sure their windows are fully secured after a 38-year-old man was arrested and charged after a property in the Eastbourne area of Darlington was broken into. Police said the burglar gained entry by forcing a window that was shut but not fully locked .A laptop and bicycle were stolen. People whose windows have handles that can be locked with a key should use them to make it more difficult for a thief to break in.

COFFEE MORNING: St Michael’s Church, in Heighington, will host a Christmas coffee morning on Saturday, December 15, between 10am and noon. The event will include seasonal refreshments and a raffle. Entry is £2 for adults, 50p for children.

OPEN MIC: The organisers of the open mic nights for authors have announced the programme for the 2013 season. The nights, which offer a forum for writers to read their material and audiences to enjoy it, run at Cantina, in Skinnergate, Darlington on the last Thursday of the month. The final event of 2012 was staged on Thursday, November 29.More information is available at darlingtonforculture.org FLOWER CLUB: Darlington Flower Club will hold its Christmas meeting on Wednesday, December 5, at St Cuthbert's Church Centre, in Market Place, Darlington. There will be a practice followed by a faith tea. For more information call 01325-352889.

YOGA CLASS: A yoga class suitable for adults of all abilities and fitness is held at The Tiffany School of Dance, in Branksome Terrace, Darlington, every Monday between noon and 1.30pm. The classes cost £25 for a five week term. For more information call 01325-356126.

CAMERA CLUB: The Darlington Camera Club meets on Mondays at the rugby club in Grange Road and is open to people with an interest in all types of photography. Sessions start at 7.30pm.

NATURE CLUB: The next meeting of the Darlington and Teesdale Naturalists’ Field Club includes a talk by Christine Pope about Castle Eden Dene. The club meets at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, in Darlington, on Monday at 7.30pm.

FLOWER TALK: The Darlington Chrysanthemum and Dahlia Society will welcome Ray Beckwith to give a talk about wild flowers in Austria at its next meeting on Tuesday. The society will meet at the Copper Beech pub, on Neasham Road, at 7.30pm.