Spennymoor Boxing Academy completed a great double beginning with another successful dinner tournament, and ending when Robert Ellis, director of coaching, received a prestigous honour at last week's Local Heroes Awards.

Ellis was named the npower Leading Light in recognition of his dedication to the club and his work with the club's young fighters.

Held at the town's leisure centre recently, the dinner tournament saw the host club out on top in their clash with the Auld enemy from north of the border.

There was an international flavour to the evening as Spennymoor's boxers faced five of Scotland's finest and the South Durham boys triumphed 4-1.

The five bouts formed part of a 12-fight bill - all equally contested with none of the Spennymoor boxers having an easy night.

In fact, eight of the evening's fights went the way of the visiting boxers, but that didn't stop the 600 boxing enthusiasts enjoying a great night out.

Flashing lights, music and dry ice welcomed the boxers to the ring while a lone piper accompanied the Scottish fighters.

Against the Scots there were wins for George Gallone, Kane Sams, Mark Moffatt and Gary Dodds.

Bout of the night awards went to Spennymoor's Joe Cooke and Hartlepool Headland's Craig Denton. This big punching pair produced three very close rounds before Denton took a majority points verdict.

Moor's Joe Cooke took home the Robbie Ellis Golden Belt for the best Spennymoor boxer of the evening.

The show was jointly sponsored by Andrew Ward of Workwear Express, Coxhoe, and Wayne Baister of Bertie Quality Clothing. Turners of Sedgefield kindly sponsored the giant lighting rig and guest of honour was the Rt Hon Derek Foster MP.

Ellis, delighted with recent successes, said: "The show was once again simply the best in the North with 600 people going home happy and they can't all be wrong.

"The club is thriving and bursting at the seams with young talents and my aim is to keep it at the top with more international tours in the pipeline."