GREAT Britain international Stewy Bell led Chester-le-Street to a clean sweep of medals in yesterday's Saltwell Harriers 10K at Gateshead.

Bell conceded the £25 special prime prize on the notorious Chowdene Bank to clubmate Chris Lamb, but went on to regain the lead and win the £100 first prize by 11 seconds from another Chester-le-Street runner, Simon O'Donnell.

The three Cestrians led the 230-strong field from the halfway mark, leaving defending champion Rob Hand to beat challenger Dave Robertson by six seconds for the over-40 veterans' prize.

Bell was content to led his junior clubmates fight it out at the top of Chowdene Bank, with Lamb, the newly-crowned North-East Under-20 cross country champion, going on to claim the £30 junior award.

"I made the mistake a few years ago of trying to go too hard up the hill and paid for it," said Bell, 38.

"This time I let the two young lads go and I was able to catch them up and go past them 200 metres later on. From then on I just pushed it on to the finish."

Bell, whose last road race success was in the Derwentside 10 in October, added: "I was very pleased with my run and last week's fifth position in the North-East Championships. Things seem to be going a lot better."

It was Bell's first success in a race which used to be dominated by former Olympic 10,000m silver-medallist Mike McLeod.

The women's race was won by Elswick's Judith Nutt, who avenged three consecutive defeats by Hunter by beating her Jarrow and Hebburn rival by over two minutes and leading Elswick Harriers to the team prize.