A RAILWAY engine that ran out of steam has cut short services on Britain's newest heritage line.

Engineers discovered major steam leaks yesterday on the Mardy Monster locomotive, which has been hauling coaches through Weardale, County Durham, for the past few weeks.

Weardale Railways Limited took the decision to shut the line immediately, four days ahead of Sunday's scheduled closing date.

However, they said a series of Santa Specials planned for the run-up to Christmas will go ahead.

Over the summer, thousands of passengers have made the five-mile return trip between Stanhope and Wolsingham, setting tills ringing in Weardale's cafes, pubs and shops.

A series of engine breakdowns have convinced railway bosses that they need their own locomotives to add to the collection of carriages and other rolling stock building up at the line's Wolsingham depot.

Brian Morris, the company's managing director, apologised to people planning to travel on the line this weekend. He said: "Like other new heritage lines in Britain, we have run into some teething problems since we started three months ago, but these will not interfere with our plans to extend the Weardale line and run our Santa Specials this year."

The Mardy Monster is one of a number of borrowed engines used by the railway since services started.

It started its working life at the Mardy Colliery, in South Wales, pulling coal wagons up a mountain.

After restoration, it operated on Elsecar Heritage Railway, near Barnsley, South Yorkshire.