TWO Teesdale publicans have won a national award after raising more than £20,000 for charity.

Judges in this year's Punch Taverns Shine Awards voted Morris and Trudi Race, winners of the Best Charity Experience category for their work over the last five years as licensees of their pub.

Activities at The Wheatsheaf, in Staindrop, have included coffee mornings, pub game tournaments and fun runs.

Mrs Race said: "We were pleasantly surprised to win the award, although to be fair none of this would have been possible without the hard work and generosity of all our customers.

"Everyone in the village worked tirelessly to help raise the money and it's great to see their efforts rewarded in this way."

Recently, Mr and Mrs Race and regulars at the pub helped raise thousands of pounds to help one-year-old Jake Jones, who suffers from craniosynostosis, a rare disease which causes the bones in the skull to fuse together, cramping room for brain growth.

Punch Taverns' regional operations director, Chris Welham, said: "Village pubs are often the focal point of the local community and, thanks to all the fund-raising work undertaken by its staff and customers, the Wheatsheaf is no exception. They are worthy winners."