CORONATION Street stars will swap Weatherfield's cobbled streets for the hallowed turf of Darlington's Reynolds Arena on Sunday.

A charity football match will see television soap stars play against the Royal Military Police, to raise money for families of nine British military police officers killed in Iraq, including three from North Yorkshire and the North-East.

The Coronation Street actors playing for the TV All Stars side will include love rat Peter Barlow, played by Chris Gascoyne, Tyrone, played by Alan Halsall, Kirk, played by Andrew Whyment, Tommy Harris, played by Thomas Craig and Steve Arnold who plays Ashley Peacock

Cast members from Holby City, Brookside, Hollyoaks and Byker Grove will also line up.

Warrant Officer Colin Wall, 34, from Middleton-One-Row, 23-year-old Lance Corporal Ben Hyde, from Northallerton, and 21-year-old Corporal Simon Miller, from Washington, were all killed in Iraq and their families will be attending the match.

Andrew Scullion, a former captain in the military police, has organised the event.

"It will be a lovely day, because the families are going to be there, it will be a happy occasion in these lads' memories," he said.

"But it's also sad, because these were lads from this area who died out in Iraq, and the match is all about raising money for their families and letting them know we are thinking about them."

Mr Scullion organised a similar event earlier this year at the Quakers old town centre ground Feethams, which raised £18,000. He hopes to top this at the new stadium, which George Reynolds is allowing them to use free of charge.

Admission to the match, which kicks off at 1.30pm, will be £5.