A North-east Paralympian has picked up yet another accolade to add to her collection.

Wheelchair athlete Tanni Grey-Thompson, who lives in Redcar, was yesterday voted as one of Britain's bravest women, by Best magazine.

Tanni, 31, who has spina bifida, picked up four gold medals at the Sydney Paralympics and, since she returned to the North-East in October, has been hailed as a national hero.

Other honours include a CBE, and coming third in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year competition.

Editor of Best, Louise Court, said that the women had been selected for their "courage, strength and determination".

Other winners in the competition included Sara Payne, the mother of murdered schoolgirl Sarah Payne, and Pam Warren, who has campaigned for improvements to rail safety since the Paddington rail crash in October 1999, which left her with massive facial injuries