STAFF at one of the region's best-known hotels were celebrating last night after scooping a second successive gold in the annual North-East Tourism Awards.

Seaham Hall Hotel and Serenity Spa, on the east Durham coast was named the region's best small hotel, to follow up its gold last year in the outstanding customer service category.

The luxury hotel, which opened in 2001 and was once home to the poet Lord Byron, was taking part in the category for what is likely to be the last time, having won planning permission last month for an extension which, once complete, will take it up into the large hotel category.

At last night's ceremony, held at the National Glass Centre, in Sunderland, more than 40 individuals and businesses in the region's tourism industry were honoured.

Among the most high-profile categories awarded at the ceremony, Slaley Hall took the award for best large hotel, Beamish Museum was named best visitor attraction and came second in the family attraction category, while Sunderland International Airshow won the best tourism experience category - a title awarded for the first time this year.

Best tourism experience was one of three new categories added to the list of awards this time, with Killhope Lead Mining Museum winning the inaugural sustainable tourism award and The Discovery Museum, in Newcastle, taking the Tourism For All award, ahead of The National Railway Museum, at Shildon.

The awards, organised by regional development agency, One NorthEast and sponsored by Dickinson Dees, were shared by attractions from Berwick to Guisborough.

Richard Vickery, tourism business development manager at One NorthEast, said: "There has been a very high standard of entries this year, but the finalists demonstrated a real commitment to making North-East England a great place to visit.

"The judging process has been difficult but has also provided a chance to see at first hand the wealth of talent and experience in the region's visitor economy."

Winners in most of the categories will go on to represent the North-East in the national Enjoy England Awards for Excellence, in the spring.