HEALTH Secretary John Reid pledged to maintain the drive against heart disease yesterday as he launched the Great North Walk.

Dr Reid arrived in Weardale, County Durham, to set 4,000 walkers on their way - including his predecessor, Darlington MP Alan Milburn.

This year's Great North Walk - the first since 2000 because of foot-and-mouth - was the flagship event of a series of healthy living initiatives launched by a partnership including The Northern Echo.

The paper launched a campaign four years ago to cut waiting times for heart bypass operations when Darlington father Ian Weir, 38, died after waiting eight months for surgery.

The Chance To Live campaign has played a crucial part in reducing waiting times from a year to six months.

The campaign has been extended into health promotion, with a year of public health initiatives in Wear Valley, which has some of the country's worst heart disease rates.

The paper has linked up with Wear Valley District Council, Durham Dales Primary Care Trust and Northumbrian Water for the campaign.

Dr Reid said: "We are making progress on heart disease and the efforts made under Alan Milburn will, if anything, increase.

"This is an innovative approach which is getting people active and showing that good health is also in their own hands."

Mr Milburn, keeping a promise made last year to take part in the walk, said: "Raising awareness of the importance of exercise is crucial, and that's exactly what this campaign is doing."

Wear Valley officials are hoping to finalise a deal to bring the event back next year.

* Walkers had to contend with the hottest day of the year, with temperatures reaching 77 degrees F. Britain was hotter than parts of Spain. And forecasters predict it will get hotter, with record temperatures over the next few days.