Middlesborough was one of the two where the government said business would "take the lead" and introduce "radical ways of working into education".

BBC: Not on my shopping list

The victories of independent candidates in the mayoral contests in Hartlepool and Middlesborough also caught the eyes of the headline writers, not least because the winner in Hartlepool campaigned as his town's football mascot, a monkey.

ECONOMIST: Local election results: A plague on all your houses | The