THE 30th annual Beamish reliability run on June 17 will use a shortened course to comply with foot-and-mouth regulations.

The 91-mile route across County Durham has been sponsored this year by Lanchester Dairies and organisers have stressed that no cars will cross any unfenced roads.

Normally the run is about 150 miles long, crossing open countryside and farmland in Durham and North Yorkshire.

But this year, because of the foot-and-mouth epidemic, organisers have had to shorten the route and use only fenced off roads in County Durham.

The star of this year's event will be a rare 1905 Brown owned by West Auckland farmer Mr Stephen Cleminson, who was recently in the headlines when his daughter's pet cow had to be destroyed along with the rest of the herd after a neighbouring farm was infected with foot-and-mouth.

If the car completes the course, it will be the oldest vehicle ever to have done so, beating the past winner, a 1917 Bullnose Morris.

The route will start and finish at Beamish museum with the smallest and oldest vehicles setting off at 8.30. The last will be expected back by 2pm.

Checkpoints along the figure-eight route will be at:

DLI museum in Durham; Brancepeth; Crook market place; Bishop Auckland market place; Staindrop; Bowes museum, Barnard Castle; Tow Law; and Burnhope

Vehicles will pass through West Auckland twice to complete the course.

About 100 post-1951 cars will form a static display within the grounds of the museum, along with a two-day Rover Car Club display.

Mr George Jolley, event organiser, expects about 110 entrants to take part and stressed that every foot-and-mouth regulation would be strictly adhered to.

He said: "We are planning from day to day instead of week by week this year because of the foot-and-mouth outbreak. We have been round the course twice and no car will traverse any unfenced roads."

Other star cars include a rare 1948 HRG, three Riley Lynx, a 1926 BSA motorcycle, a 1935 Ford American and a 1950 Dellow.