IN her inimitable style, Christine Hamilton paid a compliment to a group of fundraising North-East women yesterday.

She told the women attending an NSPCC charity lunch, at Seaham Hall in east Durham: "It's wonderful to be back in the North-East amongst a bevy of beautiful battleaxes supporting such a wonderful cause.''

Mrs Hamilton was the guest speaker at the event, which raised £1,400 for the children's charity.

Guests attending the sell-out lunch at the venue, recently named Hotel of the Year, paid £40 for a three course meal and to hear Mrs Hamilton's speech.

Deborah Rack, events manager for the NSPCC, said the combination of the venue and an entertaining personality made it an unmissable day.

She said: "All the money raised today will go towards supporting NSPCC projects on Teesside.''

The event also included a fashion show, staged by lifestyle store The House, from Yarm, near Stockton.

There were 119 women at the event and only two men, one of whom was Mrs Hamilton's husband Neil, the former Conservative MP.