The Northern Echo has increased its commitment to grass roots sport by expanding its weekly Local Heroes supplement.

Local Heroes was launched four years ago when Peter Barron took over the editor's chair and it has become established as a "must-read" supplement for thousands of people involved in grass roots sports.

Content includes coverage including football, junior football, cricket, table tennis, basketball, darts, dominoes, athletics, golf, squash, angling, swimming, bowls, rugby and ice hockey.

It has attracted the biggest single sponsorship deal in the paper's history from Darlington & Building Society and the Local Heroes Awards are now a popular feature of the North-East sporting calendar, attracting a 600-strong audience in November.

Now Local Heroes - edited by Craig Stoddart - has expanded from 12 to 16 pages as a result of the demand from local sporting organisations queueing up to be in it.

In football alone, 14 amateur leagues are now covered, with 28 divisions, 374 teams and 6,000 players.

Peter said: "Local Heroes has been a real success story, growing from nothing to 16 pages crammed with hundreds of local people every week, and the feedback is very strong.

"The aim is to keep on growing and there are plans to add yet another football league soon, featuring an extra 500 players."

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