THE THREATENED penultimate Durham Pine North Eastern Harrier League fixture has been rescued at the eleventh hour by Blackhill Bounders chairwoman Joy Bell.

Today's meeting appeared doomed when the organiser walked out of the host club - but veteran runner Joy stepped in to take charge.

Joy, who organises the annual Fruitbowl Gibside Race, answered a call for help from League secretary Audrey Ogle and the fifth fixture of the season, at Berry Edge, Consett, was saved.

Mrs Ogle said: "We can't thank Joy enough for saving the meeting, without her help we wouldn't have been able to fulfil the League's six fixtures."

The only change to the meeting, which starts at 12.30pm, is that changing facilities will now be provided at New College, opposite the Safeway Supermarket in the centre of Consett.

Sunderland Harriers, whose hopes of achieving a grandslam of victories were dashed when they were beaten for the first time this season at Blaydon last month, still have a clear four-point lead at the head of the senior men's Division One table and look set to win the title for the 18th time since 1980. Morpeth's Terry Wall heads the individual table.

Tynedale and South Shields head the Division Two table, while Gateshead and Low Fell are at the top in Division Three.

* New Marske's Paul Welham goes into the sixth and final North Yorkshire and South Durham Harrier League fixture at Richmond tomorrow with an 11 point lead on the host club's John Aspell, with Hartlepool Burn Road's Ian Cook eight points clear of Darlington's Martin Grainger in the veteran's section.

Richmond and Zetland's Louise Jackson, second in the last fixture at Hartlepool, holds a four point lead over Maxine Czarnecka, of Scarborough, while Johanna Jackson (Middlesbrough and Cleveland) is a runaway leader in the under-20s, 19 points ahead of New Marske Harrier Joanne Hutton.

Other individual leaders: Under-13 Boys: Lewis Rogers (Loftus); Under-15 Boys Luke Stockton (Middlesbrough Mandale); Under-17 Men: Lewis Moses (Newton Aycliffe); Under-20 Men: Paul McNally (Midd Man); V2 Men: Jim Robinson (R&Z); V3 Men: Ian Barnes (Darlington). Under-13 Girls: Alex Wheatman (Scarborough); Under-15 Girls: Jessica Roberts (R&Z); Under-17 Women: Suzanne Boyes (Scar); V1 Women: Joyce Hutchinson (Loftus); V2 Women: Lynn Woods (New Marske).

* The opening NYSD fixture at Barnard Castle was cancelled because of flooding and the championships will be decided on the best four runs from six.