A CHARITY event has run into trouble after organisers were landed with a £1,500 bill.

Miles for Men, which donates to Cancer Research and local charities, hopes to eventually collect nearly £30,000 from last Sunday's 5k fun run on Seaton Carew seafront near Hartlepool.

However, organiser Kevin Hill says he was shocked to be handed a bill for £1,500 from Hartlepool Borough Council and Tees Valley Connect, a bus and transport information service jointly provided by Stockton, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and Darlington councils.

The money is for work in producing and leaving notices explaining the changes in bus times and routes at 25 bus stops in Seaton Carew at a cost of £60 each. The work was carried out by staff at Hartlepool Borough Council on behalf of Tees Valley Connect, a bus and transport information service jointly provided by Stockton, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and Darlington councils.

Hartlepool council waived its half of the bill - £750. However, Tees Valley Connect still wants its share and has charged Hartlepool Council for the money which in turn has passed it on to Miles for Men.

Mr Hill said: "To say I'm disgusted is an understatement. I was told that we were informed, but we weren't.

"I went to every meeting to discuss what needed to be done and we were not told once. We didn't pay last year and we weren't told this time either. I'm really angry.

"That money is for cancer research and helping vulnerable families. I've had both Hartlepool Council and Tees Valley Connect on, both say they agree with me, but we're still being left with this bill."

A Hartlepool Council spokesman said: “We have waived £750 in relation to the costs incurred in preparing and putting up bus stop closure signs. This is in line with our policy on charity/community events.

"We also intend to meet with Miles for Men to discuss the fees administered in relation to Sunday’s charity run.”

A spokeswoman for Connect Tees Valley said: “This matter is between Hartlepool Borough Council and the organisers of the event as Connect Tees Valley is a joint venture between the five Tees Valley local authorities, which includes Hartlepool Borough Council.

"All five local authorities agreed a standard of policies and costs which are applied across the whole region.”

Miles for Men was set up in 2012 by Mr Hill's friend, Michael Day after losing his father, Michael senior, to throat cancer in 2007.

It started out with a sponsored run to raise money for cancer research and it has become so popular that the fundraising total had reached about £150,000 before Sunday's run. Find out more about the charity at milesformen.co.uk.