A teacher was celebrating last night after he organised the world's biggest dog walk - which went ahead despite a thunderstorm.

A total of 4,372 pets and their owners took part in the Great North Dog Walk in South Shields, South Tyneside, raising thousands of pounds for canine charities.

It broke the total previously held in the US by the Mighty Texas Dog Walk, which brought together 3,117 animals last year.

Organiser Tony Carlisle, 46, was delighted with the turnout, when walkers and their pets defied the heavy rain and loud thunder, which scared some of the dogs.

He said: ''I was not sure we would break the record because of the weather, and I was very dubious.

''But when we got the numbers back I was gobsmacked. We had hammered the record.''

A team of independent counters were on hand to collate the number of entrants, and their information will be passed on to Guinness World Record officials, Mr Carlisle said.

The PE teacher from Harton School, South Shields, said donations and sponsorship would be going to Guide Dogs for the Blind, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, Pets As Therapy and the National Canine Defence League.