A CYCLING club for disabled people wheeled out its new club house at the weekend.

Gateway Wheelers unveiled the building at the Riverside sports pavilion, Chester-le-Street, yesterday.

Opening up the site with a ride to nearby Lumley Castle, the club hopes to encourage new members to join.

Club secretary Brian Milner said: "The site at Chester-le-Street is ideal for the club."

He added: "Our members, of which we have about 100, are able to cycle through the park and along the river banks for miles on flat, traffic-free ground.

"We have already made friends with the athletics club next door, so we are looking into the possibility of the two working together."

The club organises cycling events and provides specialised cycles. Membership is free, but it costs £1 per session and rides are designed around the cyclists' abilities.

For more information on the club and its activities, contact David Patterson on 0191-371 2505, or Brian Milner on 0774 0702029.