US President George Bush arrived at Teesside airport for a £1m pub lunch with Tony Blair.

A massive security operation began as Air Force One touched down with Mr Bush, his wife Laura and their enormous entourage on board.

Roads around the airport were sealed off as armed officers from Cleveland, Northumbria, Durham, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire checked motorists moving in and out of the area.

Air Force One touched down at 11.30am and 10 minutes later the President and his wife emerged to cheers and clapping from gathered airport staff.

Mr Bush was greeted by the Lord Leiutenant of County Durham, Sir Paul Nicholson, Durham North West MP Hilary Armstrong and Dari Taylor, MP for Stockton South.

The President spent a couple of minutes talking to Mrs Armstrong.

She said afterwards: "I welcomed him to County Durham and told him it is the best place in Britain with the best people.

"He thanked me for the work we had done in parliament to support the US in the war. He thanked me personally for the work I had done and said he was pleased to be in the North East and was really looking forward to his visit."

President touched down in Trimdon Colliery in Marine One, which had been waiting to collect him at the airport.

It landed on the playing field outside Myrobella, Mr Blair's constituency home.

Spectators wearing the Stars and Stripes flag called him to a fence where the President posed for pictures with his arm around a smiling teenage girl.