FORMER Tory leader William Hague may have been beheaded, but at least he's fared better than poor old Gazza.

For the Geordie joker had that famous grin wiped from his face after being melted down once he had lost his England place.

The former Newcastle and Middlesbrough footballer went into the same recycling bin at Madame Tussaud's as former Northern Ireland Secretary and Hartlepool MP Peter Mandelson.

It seems that the tourist attraction is having some difficulty finding anyone from the region worth immortalising in wax.

The only one to escape the meltdown is a certain Sedgefield MP and Prime Minister, Tony Blair.

Last week Iain Duncan Smith became the first Conservative leader not to have a Madame Tussaud's waxwork.

The London attraction decided against spending £40,000 on his likeness, as visitors would not find it an "emotionally charged experience".

However, at least he avoided the fate of his predecessor, William Hague. Last year, the Richmond MP's dummy was melted down - although his head has been kept on display.

A Tussaud's spokeswoman said: "When William Hague decided to step down, his figure was removed from the exhibition but his head remains on display in a celebrities past and present section. Obviously, we did this because he is no longer the leader."

She said that Dunston-born Gascoigne - now playing for Everton - was melted down once his popularity waned.

Even the region's most well-known TV presenters, Ant and Dec, cannot be viewed.

And although they have achieved national acclaim thanks to the Pop Idol television programme, the pair will not be putting in an appearance at Madame Tussaud's.

The spokeswoman said: "We have no plans at the moment to have Ant and Dec dummies.

"Their names have been mentioned a few times. There are no plans in the near future to recreate them, but you never know."