GREAT BRITAIN international Dominic Bannister earned a special cheer winning yesterday's re-scheduled Morpeth-Newcastle road race as he crossed the finish line beside the Town Moor wearing black and white stripes.

But it wasn't a Newcastle United top it was the vest of Shaftsbury Barnet Harriers, as the 33-year-old physiotherapist became the first member of a London club to win the race since Belgrave's Paul Evans victory in 1992.

Bannister, however, is very much settled in the North-East after moving into a new house at Carlton, near Stockton, with his wife Andrea - once a champion runner in her own right and regularly represents the region in inter-county events.

The former English National Cross Country champion, was a runaway winner of Britain's oldest road race, which had been switched from its traditional New Year's Day slot because of escalating costs, but he admitted afterwards it had been tough going running on his own for most of the 13.1 mile half marathon.

Bannister, preparing his bid for selection for the marathon in this summer's European Championships or Commonwealth Games, left his rivals approaching three miles and gradually increased his lead until he was almost out of sight of his pursuers.

"I didn't really stick the boot in and pull away drastically I just wound it up to what I thought was a sensible pace and tried to keep a relaxed rhythm," he said.

"But at nine miles I was so cold and wet I started to slow my arms and legs would hardly move.

"The last four miles was more a battle was more a battle against the elements than the pace or the course. It's as bad as I've ever experienced. There was water all over the road and you were constantly being splashed."

Bannister had planned to run quicker than his time of 67 mins 24 secs he ran double the distance in Hamburg two years ago in 2 hours 14 mins 40 secs.

He admitted: "I was a little disappointed with my time, but taking into consideration the cold and wet conditions it was not too bad."

Bannister now plans to run a marathon, probably in Italy, in March, when he bids to get the qualifying time for the European Championships (2 house 14 mins) or the Commonwealth Games (2:20). Running in April's London Marathon is a last resort, with the event close to the two major championships this summer.

Bannister's closest challenger yesterday was Army warrant officer Craig McBurney, of Morpeth Harriers, who finished one minute 22 secs in arrears. He said: "I moved up into second place after three miles but I knew there was no way I'd catch Dominic. He's different class and up there with the best British distance runners."

There was a surprise women's winner when Irving AC's Janet Roxburgh, a Scottish cross country international, beat defending champion Sheila Allen, of Houghton and Peterlee.

The 28-year-old Edinburgh-based runner said: "This was my first experience of the race and it was a tough, hilly course and the conditions were very difficult.

"It must rate as my best-ever road race victory."

Roxburgh finished just over a minute ahead of Allen, the reigning British Veterans Cross Country champion. The 44-year-old Wearsider said: "She passed me at six miles, though I didn't realise because I thought I was clear.

"It was a surprise and I couldn't catch her - she just seemed to pull away and I had to settle for 2nd."

Results - Men: 1 D Bannister (Shaftsbury Barnet) 67.24; 2 C McBurney (Morpeth) 68.46; 3 D Bilton (Kingston upon Hull) 69.05; 4 A Swearman (KuH) 69.34; 5 R Hand (Durham City) 69.49; 6 T Wall (Morp) 70.38; 7 D cavers (Border) 70.59; 8 S Murdoch (Border M40) 72.10; 9 G Slater (KuH) 72.25; 10 S Carmichael (KuH) 72.28; 11 L Atkinson (Morp M45) 72.37; 12 D Robertson (Sunderland V40) 72.51; 13 I Tweddle (North Shields Poly) 73.20; 14 I Handyside (Unatt) 74.28; 15 A Hughes (KuH) 75.21; 16 A Tatham (Quakers) 75.36; 17 M McDonald (Low Fell) 75.40; 18 D Kirkland (Unatt) 75.49; 19 G Dixon (Morp M40 75.54); 20 T Cummings (Thurrock M40) 75.56. M50 M McNally (Elswick) 80.37; M55 H Matthews (Elswick) 77.31; M60 P Winter (Morp) 95.21. Teams: 1 Kingston upon Hull 16 pts; 2 Morpeth 19; 3 Kingston upon Hull B 65. Women: 1 J Roxburgh (Irving) 81.16; 2 S Allen (Houghton and Peterlee W40) 82.33; 3 D Richardson (Quakers) 86.52; 4 S Shenton (Elvet Striders W40) 88.25; 5 E Nutter (Ripon) 89.40; 6 A Banner (Elswick) 90.52; 7 R Cooper (Shildon W40) 90.52; 8 K Davison (Elswick W40) 92.17; 9 E Hurrell (Sheffield) 92.58; 10 B Ingman (NSP W45) 93.12