LECTURERS and students at one of the region's leading universities are pulling together to raise money for Romanian orphans.

The team, from Newcastle University's School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, will pull a four-tonne tractor more than nine miles from Tynemouth to the Monument, in Newcastle, on Saturday.

The event aims to raise cash to buy chickens for the university's farm in Siret, Romania, which helps rehabilitate orphans.

The town was made famous 12 years ago by the television programme Challenge Anneka, in which Anneka Rice worked against the clock to refurbish the orphanage.

The farm offers children work experience and produces crops such as cabbages and potatoes for sale.

Supplying free-range eggs is vital to the farm becoming self sufficient.

Students have worked with orphans to build a hen-house and hope that the tractor-pull will pay for the chickens.

Lecturer Dr Jonathan Guy said: "All the publicity a few years ago certainly helped the Romanian orphans, but there are still problems.

"The farm at Siret is a really good way for them to learn useful skills and integrate them into society.

"I think the tractor-pull will be really tough. I am least looking forward to the uphill stretch along City Road towards the centre of Newcastle, which we will hit when we are already tired out."

Donations can be sent to Dr Guy or Alan Younger, at the School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, King George VI Building, Newcastle University, NE1 7RU.

Cheques should be made payable to the Romanian Challenge Appeal.