COMPUTER experts will descend on the North-East next month as Sunderland hosts one of the largest IT events in the country.

The city, which has been awarded £3.5m for winning the Government's Digital Challenge competition, is staging IT Works 2007, bringing together the region's IT businesses and leading international names.

The event, now in its 11th year, will be held at Sunderland University, and will also incorporate the globally-significant International IT in the Community conference, which will focus on issues like social exclusion, access to health and jobs, home and mobile working and crime and security.

The conference and exhibition, which will be held on July 5 and 6, will attract up to 1,000 delegates and visitors to the city.

Steve Williams, head of ICT at Sunderland City Council, said: For us to be staging a conference on international IT in the community is highly-appropriate and gives us a wonderful opportunity to showcase Sunderland and everything it has achieved."