TV stars and former England footballers joined a regional daily’s celebrations as it marked its 130th birthday.

The Chronicle, Newcastle, celebrated the anniversary online and in print, with a double page spread looking back at the newspaper’s history.

Messages of congratulation came from television presenters Ant and Dec, as well as former Newcastle United and England footballers Alan Shearer and Michael Owen.

On Monday, visitors to the Chronicle’s official Twitter feed were greeted with a bunch of balloons floating across the page to mark the occasion, pictured below.

Editor Darren Thwaites said: “It’s always humbling to look back at the proud history of our newspaper brands. We’ve been there alongside our readers for all the big events and we remain part of the fabric of life in our region.

“When Joseph Cowen launched the Chronicle back in 1885, he couldn’t have imagined that some 130 years later we’d have an audience of more than 3 million readers a month.

“The way people consume news has changed so much in that time but we’ve adapted our work to become the biggest news brand in the North East.

“Our anniversary comes with ChronicleLive the second fastest growing regional news site in the UK over the last two six-month periods. We hope Mr Cowen would be proud that his legacy continues to thrive in a very different era.”

Ant and Dec, who guest edited the paper’s front and back pages in May, posted a “happy birthday” message from their joint Twitter account.

Newcastle United’s record goalscorer Alan Shearer said: “Congratulations and best wishes to the Chronicle”, while his former strike partner Michael Owen added “congratulations to all at the Chronicle”.

The double page spread looking back on The Chronicle’s history