A HOST of celebrities have supported a Teesside town's bid for Fair Trade status.

TV stars including Chris Tarrant and Jack Osbourne have sent personal messages of encouragement to the team aiming to see Hartlepool crowned as a Fair Trade town.

Fair Trade status is given to products that are distributed and sold to ensure the maximum amount of profit stays in the hands of the growers, often poverty-stricken Third World farmers.

For a town to receive the title it must have a certain number of outlets, including shops, cafes and restaurants, stocking these goods.

To support Hartlepool's effort, Chris Tarrant recorded a personal message, which was played at the start of a Fair Trade event in the town last week.

Jack Osbourne also sent his best wishes to the town.

He said: "Frankly, I think it's so important that we all do our bit to support towns like Hartlepool. We've got to stop big corporate machines from destroying the little guys."

TV presenters Johnny Vaughan, Kate Lawler, Emma Forbes and Olympic showjumper Oliver Skeete are among the famous faces who have sent their autographs to be auctioned to support the bid.

Chris Eddowes, a member of the town's Fair Trade steering group, said: "It's great that all these famous people have come out to support us.

"There's a great deal of hard work gone into this bid and we're not far off now."

Organisers are hoping Hartlepool will be granted Fair Trade status by the summer.