A QUARRY inspector travelled from the Durham Dales to the Hollywood Hills in an effort to clinch a deal for a film he has written about a US cricket team.

Mike Tweddle, of Darlington, has pitched his script to Tinseltown producers and is waiting to hear if the project is given the go-ahead.

Mr Tweddle, 44, who spends his working days examining quarries and mines in County Durham, hopes his true-life story about Compton Cricket Club could soon make it to the big screen.

On his trip to the US, Mr Tweddle visited the club, known locally as the Homies and the Popz.

The club was formed in 1995 by Ted Hayes, a former homeless man who saw the power of cricket as a gentrifying force, offering a way out of homelessness and gang culture.

Mr Tweddle heard about the story from friend and fellow Darlingtonian Gary Ivin, now living in Los Angeles.

On a trip to visit Mr Ivin in April, he met Mr Hayes to discuss his idea. He said: “I met up with them and just said I would be very interested in doing a book or screenplay.

“They want me to do the screenplay, it’s just whether or not we can get beyond all the bureaucracy. The next day I went to see them playing in the park. They weren’t the best, but that’s not the point.

“It’s about getting kids out of the gang culture and into something positive. It’s a fantastic story.”

Mr Tweddle must now wait to see if film company Disney exercises its option to the story.

If not, the project could still be under way later this year.

The film would be Mr Tweddle’s second, having enjoyed cult success with the 2008 road movie The Last Blast, shot between Europe and the US.

Meanwhile, the father-oftwo is preparing for the release of his first book, a fictional account based on his experiences at work.

Discussing his writing on air with BBC 6 Music DJ Steve Lamacq on Thursday, Mr Tweddle raised the Save the Forum campaign, which is attempting to secure the future of The Forum music centre, in Darlington.