CAMPAIGNERS have not given up the fight to have the Lindisfarne Gospels returned to the North-East, despite what they say is "stone walling" by the British Library.

That was the message that emerged as celebrations were staged for the region's unofficial patron saint over the weekend.

St Cuthbert's Day was marked with a series of events at Durham Cathedral, built more than 900 years ago to house the shrine to St Cuthbert, the former Bishop of Lindisfarne.

Members of the Northumbrian Association, who are leading the campaign to have the gospels returned to the region from the British Library, staged their third Cuthbert's Day pilgrimage, from Chester-le-Street to Durham, yesterday.

About 40 people took part in the six-and-a-half mile symbolic walk, from St Mary's and St Cuthbert's Church, in Chester-le-Street, to Durham Cathedral.

The remains of Cuthbert, who died on March 20 687AD, and the Lindisfarne Gospels, subsequently written in his honour, were kept at the church for 113 years, until 995AD, after monks fled Viking invaders on the Holy Isle.

But on leaving Chester-le-Street, the monks eventually made Durham the permanent intended resting place of both the gospels and Cuthbert's intact remains.

The gospels were later removed from the cathedral during the Reformation, under Henry VIII, and are now in the permanent collection at the British Library, in London.

Yesterday's walk was organised by John Danby, association treasurer, who still believes pressure can be put on the British Library to return the gospels.

"They're not changing their stance at all," he said.

"They come up with things like saying we have not got the right conditions in which to house them, but I would have thought the treas- ury at Durham Cathedral would have been the ideal setting."

"We're not giving up. With political backing across the party divide, we can keep the pressure up, but we need to keep a united front on this and build up a groundswell of support."

A specially-made standard, a modern version of St Cuthbert's banner, was flown on the saint's day yesterday outside the Queen's Head, in Gilesgate, Durham.

It was devised after research by friends David Hill, David Wild and Joe Myers, the partner of licensee Linda Gibson.

She plans to fly it every March 20 to help spread interest in the region's own saintly figure.