Newcastle United chairman Chris Mort is house-hunting on Tyneside in a sure sign that owner Mike Ashley isn't planning to sell up.

"I have been house-hunting," Mort confirmed to the Sunday Sun. "I plan to split my time more evenly between here and London.

"Mike Ashley's based in the capital and I do some other stuff for him, so we can get together there at the end of the week.

"But I'm putting down more roots up here."