TWO North-East couples have spoken of their shock and anguish on discovering their dream wedding venue has gone into administration.

Wiith just six weeks to go until their big day, Katie Freeman and Dean Cummings from Seaham, County Durham, were devastated at the news that administrators have been called into Whitworth Hall Hotel, near Spennymoor.

On Tuesday, joint administrator Andy Haslam of Begbies Traynor, told The Northern Echo he was confident a buyer could be found for the 29-bedroom Best Western hotel.

But his optimism has done little to comfort the bride and groom-to-be who felt they had no choice but to cancel their booking for December 7.

The couple have lost their £750 deposit and are frantically searching for an alternative venue.

"We had to cancel as the wait would be agonising and nothing is guaranteed," said Miss Freeman, 31.

"It was a complete shock and we are obviously very disappointed as we have been planning this for months."

Stacey Harris, 24, and Steven Harrison, 26, from Esh Winning, near Durham City, booked their wedding reception at Whitworth Hall two years ago - over the Bank Holiday weekend of May 24 next year.

Miss Harris has dreamt of getting married at the hotel since she was little girl, when her parents took her to feed the deer in its idyllic grounds.

However, the young couple have also made the difficult decision to cancel and lose their deposit, fearing the task of finding a new venue on such a popular date would only get harder

"We have spent two years planning the wedding around Whitworth Hall and it is hard for us to think about anywhere else now," she said.

"It has to be that day. The cars, the photographer, the cake, the suits - everything is booked for that day."

Whitworth Hall Hotel is the ancestral home of the 18th century MP Bobby Shafto, immortalised by the famous nursery rhyme

Mr Haslam believes its rich history and excellent reputation will appeal to potential buyers.

He said the jobs of all 40 members of staff would be retained during the search for a buyer and weddings booked for this weekend and next weekend would be honoured.