MICHAEL Vaughan last night urged the cricketing authorities not to clamp down on Monty Panesar's exuberant appealing, claiming it was important that one of the game's "characters" was not driven out of cricket.

Panesar, who is a key member of the England team that will take on West Indies at Riverside if the rain relents later today, has been criticised for his conduct in the third Test at Old Trafford.

The left-armer became the first England spinner to take ten wickets in a match for more than a decade as Vaughan's side claimed an unassailable series lead, but his match-winning display was blighted by an energetic display of appealing that came close to breaching cricket's strict code of conduct.

Umpire Aleem Dar was forced to speak to Panesar on two separate occasions in an attempt to calm him down, and a number of West Indian commentators have urged Vaughan to keep the 25-year-old in check when he performs in the North-East this weekend.

The England skipper is prepared to rein Panesar in if he feels he is over-stepping the mark but, in the absence of the ebullient Andrew Flintoff, he also feels the spinner's expressions of emotion must be encouraged if cricket is not to become a sterile pursuit.

"We're in a position where we could be accused of taking characters out of the game," said Vaughan.

"We all love Monty Panesar, he appeals and he celebrates with a high-five. He's brilliant for the game and we don't want to see that taken away.

"If he gets too much and he's appealing every ball, perhaps we'll say something. But at the moment, he's a young lad, having fun, bowling brilliantly and entertaining a lot of people. Let him continue."

Ironically, Panesar is unlikely to be doing too much appealing over the next five days. With heavy rain expect to wipe out the majority of today and tomorrow's play, it is highly unlikely the Riverside wicket will be conducive to spin at any stage of the proceedings.

That will present problems to a bowler who has claimed five five-wicket hauls in his first 16 Test appearances, but Vaughan insists Panesar must learn to cope with such conditions.

"Monty showed at Old Trafford that he's coming along very nicely," said the England number three. "This week will be another learning curve for him because it wont spin as much as it did at Old Trafford and maybe the conditions will be different.

"That's how he will improve as a bowler though. He's got immense ability, and its about encouraging that without trying to change his personality.

"It's a lot better having someone who is appealing too much than someone who doesn't appeal at all because you know he's creating chances."

Panesar will form a four-man England attack at Riverside, with the fit-again Matthew Hoggard replacing axed Durham paceman Liam Plunkett.

Hoggard proved his fitness in an indoor training session at the South Northumberland club yesterday, and Vaughan said: "We've shown over the last year or so that a four-man attack can be very successful.

"We beat Pakistan with a four-man attack, and it really makes the bowlers knuckle down and work hard. They know they'll have to bowl a couple more overs in their spells.

"Having four bowlers is new to me because I've always been used to having five. It's a real challenge in terms of changing them around and getting the spells right, but that's why I'm delighted to have Matthew back in the side. I know the consistency that he brings."

Steve Harmison will be promoted to number eight in the order after Plunkett was dropped to accommodate Hoggard's return but, when it comes to England's batting, all eyes will be on the out-of-form Andrew Strauss.

Strauss has not scored a century in his last 17 Test innings, but Vaughan insists that a change of form is just around the corner.

Likely teams - England: MP Vaughan (Yorkshire, capt), AJ Strauss (Middlesex), AN Cook (Essex), KP Pietersen (Hampshire), PD Collingwood (Durham), IR Bell (Warwickshire), MJ Prior (Sussex, wkt), MJ Hoggard (Yorkshire), RJ Sidebottom (Nottinghamshire), SJ Harmison (Durham), MS Panesar (Northamptonshire).

West Indies : CH Gayle, D Ganga (capt), DS Smith, S Chanderpaul, RS Morton, DJ Bravo, D Ramdin (wkt), DJG Sammy, JE Taylor, CD Collymore, FH Edwards. Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pak) & BF Bowden (NZ). Third Umpire: NJ Llong. Match referee: AG Hurst (Aus).