THE UK's first paintball tournament is being held in County Durham this weekend.

Teams representing their home towns and cities will play at Witton Castle tomorrow and on Sunday, attracting sportsmen and women from across the country along with trade exhibitors and spectators.

A new team has been formed from around the region to represent Newcastle in the Paintball Association Cup and it is among the favourites to win.

Gill Chapple from Darlington is the team secretary. She said: "The seven players have years of experience playing top-level paintball across the UK, Europe and America and have regularly played together to form the new Pride of the Toon."

Her boyfriend is team member Jim Mann, who runs two paintball businesses in the Darlington area and a hotel booking service.

She said: "We have just got back from Sweden where more than 100 teams were playing and in September there is a huge competition at Crystal Palace in London.

"There are competitions as far afield as America and France. Teams pay about £300 to enter and the games take place over three days. It is great fun."

Others in the team are Canadian Jo Gianchola, an aircraft engineer at Teeside Airport; Jamie Martin, a dancer at the Tall Trees nightclub at Yarm; Jason Ebdon from Shildon, Mark Dunville, Steven Young and Asa Baker.