NORTHERN Echo the racing pigeon winged her way to her first victory yesterday after a testing 270 mile race - fuelled by a handful of her favourite peanuts.

Living up to her trainer's promising predictions, the yearling Blue hen left 135 of her club competitors flapping in her wake.

Delighted with the win, Peter Matthews, of Cockfield in County Durham, who has masterminded Northern Echo's success said last night: "At last, conditions were right for her."

It was at 6am yesterday that Northern Echo flew off from Wanstead Flatts, near London, for the flight back to the region.

And just before lunch, as the entrants from the Butterknowle Homing Society flew in, there was jubilation all round when Northern Echo was declared the club winner in four hours 49 minutes and 57 seconds.

Although Northern Echo had failed to show much form in her first seven races, Mr Matthews, who races his birds in the West Durham Amalgamation, never doubted the plucky pigeon's potential.

"She is quite small, and though she is not the quickest bird over short distances, she is good over longer races," he said.

Apart from the peanuts, there may have been another reason for Northern Echo's speedy return - she might have been eager to get back to the twin eggs she has recently laid in her coop.