A NORTH-EAST racecourse is hoping thousands of punters will pour through its turnstiles on May Day to help break a charity record.

Newcastle Racecourse hopes to break the record by raising more than £30,000 for WaterAid - Britain's only major charity dedicated to providing safe drinking water and sanitation in the world's poorest nations.

Accompanied children get free admission to the racecourse with entertainment laid on for them, including Airbourne Adventure, a penalty shoot-out competition, space ball, Kerplunk and table football.

The day's horse racing is sponsored by Northumbrian Water for WaterAid - a charity which helps organisations in the developing world set up low-cost sustainable projects.

Racecourse commercial manager Kay Forster said: "This is a fantastic charity to support, and we hope families will come out in their thousands to enjoy a day at the races and help raise much-needed funds at the same time."

The first race on Monday is due off at 2.05pm with gates open at noon.

For more details visit www.newcastle-race course.co.uk or call 0191-236 2020.