A North-East MP took on England Women's Football team today in her role as striker for the Parliament Women's Football Team.

Vera Baird, MP for Redcar, took part in the exhibition match, which got into action at Archbishops Park, near St Thomas's Hospital, Westminster, this morning when Gordon Brown blew the whistle for kick-off.

The match was held in aid of the Jennifer Brown Research Fund's Piggy Bank Kids, a charity started by Gordon Brown and his wife Sarah after the loss of their daughter.

Speaking before the match, Ms Baird said she hoped her goal scoring capabilities would not be weighed down by the huge sponsorship she collected from Corus at Redcar steelworks and the Lackenby shop stewards.

She said: "The choices were being goalie or striker and since we are playing the women's national team, I though I'd have a quieter time as striker."

The result was 9-6 to the England team, with Vera scoring one of the goals.