ENGLAND and Newcastle United football heroes yesterday threw their support behind the campaign for an assembly.

Peter Beardsley and former Middlesbrough and Newcastle player Paul Gascoigne joined present NUFC stars Robbie Elliott, Steve Harper and Shola Ameobi to back a Yes vote.

Magpies captain Alan Shearer, who was not present, also urged the club's supporters to back the campaign. He said: "I'm joining the rest of the local lads by voting Yes on November 4."

Gascoigne said: "The assembly will help to provide more jobs for the young people in the region, many of whom are currently forced to go to London to find work because there are not the same opportunities in their own region."

Campaigners for a No vote branded the footballers out of touch. John Elliott, chairman of North-East Says No, said: "It's all very well for rich footballers to tell people they should be voting Yes, but they will not be the ones that feel the pinch when council tax bills go up across the region to pay for the new politicians and the bureaucrats and spin doctors that go with them.

"A regional assembly would not benefit the lives of ordinary people -it would not be able to create jobs, it could not improve healthcare or education and it could not make our streets safer.

"The only people that would benefit would be politicians."