A FOUR-MILE walk around Bishop Auckland at the weekend is the latest in a series of events leading up to the Great North Walk in the summer.

A Wear Walking for Health programme has been devised by Wear Valley District Council to get people fit for the ten-mile trek around Wolsingham on July 13.

Sunday's route starts from Auckland Castle and follows a route around Bellburn Wood.

The council has teamed up with The Northern Echo, Northumbrian Water and the Durham Dales Primary Care Trust for a campaign called A Chance to Live, which aims to improve the district's poor record on heart disease by encouraging people to take more exercise and eat healthily.

Walking for Health project officer Lynn Wilson has devised a monthly programme of walks and hopes people will use them to explore parts of the district they have not visited before.

She said: "There are three walks left before the Great North Walk and we hope people will use them to train."

Sunday's walk leaves Auckland Castle at 10am and walkers are asked to turn up 15 minutes early for registration.

Contact Ms Wilson on (01388) 765555 for details.