A PARTY of councillors were guests of Middlesbrough Football Club yesterday, as they paid a visit to its football academy.

Members of South Tyneside Borough Council's planning committee were not spying on Boro's pool of talent, however, but running the rule over facilities at the Hurworth complex, near Darlington.

The committee hoped to gain a view of how Boro Premiership rivals Sunderland's proposed academy may look if given the go-ahead on farm land at Whitburn Moor.

Last year, Environment Minister John Prescott granted planning approval in principle for the scheme.

But the committee will have to rule on the finer details of the £10m development, controversially to take shape, on the narrow green belt of land separating Sunderland and South Tyneside.

Despite losing the major battle as a result of Mr Prescott's decision last year, members of the Green Belt Action Group have pledged to continue to monitor the club's plans.

Tim O'Leary, of the group, said that Sunderland's proposals resembled "a modern supermarket development".

Planning committee chairman Audrey MacMillan said that, given the contentious nature of the plans, it was only right for councillors to do their homework.

"Seeing this ground might just help us, as we'll be looking at a similar academy on a similar site," she said

The Sunderland club said it had worked with architects to draw up designs suitable for the countryside nature of the site, incorporating "rural features" to the roofs and exteriors.

A council spokeswoman said the committee was expected to consider the proposals next month.