TWO worthy causes will benefit from the landslide No vote on the regional assembly.

For they will share in cash from the winnings of two campaigners who put a bet on the result.

Neil Herron and Colin Moran, of the unofficial North-East No Campaign, which did not win central funding to argue the case against the proposed body, wagered £2,000 with Ladbrokes, in Sunderland.

Yesterday they collected winnings of £3,361.54, part of which they plan to donate to Sunderland's Grace House children's hospice appeal and the Stepney Bank Riding Stables, in Byker, Newcastle.

Mr Herron, the campaign's director, said the bet was placed after they saw Ladbrokes quoting odds of 6-5 for both outcomes (Yes and No) on a TV politics programme.

"They wouldn't take a bet of more than £2,000 and they gave us 6-5 for the first £600 and 8-13 for the remaining £1,400.

"We knew this was a dead cert. Ladbrokes closed the book after that. The result wasn't anything other than we expected, although we did think the No vote would reach 80,000.

"It was where people finally realised they have the power to take politics back from the politicians."

Mr Moran, the campaign's strategy director, said: "There is rarely such a thing as a certainty, but this was one."

The pair plan to set their sights on fighting the un-elected regional assembly, which still exists, and campaigning against the proposed European Constitution.

A referendum could be held in Britain in 2006 on the issue.