A BOWLS tournament that moved to north-west Durham last year is attracting a record number of entrants.

The World Bowls Tour and Professional Bowls Association UK National Qualifiers will take place at the Stanley Indoor Bowls Club next month.

Traditionally, the event has been held in the west coast resort of Blackpool, but looks likely to move to Stanley permanently, after it hosted a successful tournament last year.

Attendance was high and this year the number of entries has gone up by a third.

Stanley club president Bill Collin said: "We are really delighted with the terrific response and look forward to welcoming everyone to Stanley again in 2003.

"Players and everyone connected with the event last year said that the playing surface across all the eight rinks and the friendliness and hospitality they had received was second to none, and promised to be back next year.

"But to come back in these numbers has quite literally taken us by storm and we now truly know how successful last year's event really was.

"We haven't yet told our volunteer markers and helpers in all the other essential services just how much extra work they are going to have to do to make such an event tick. I am sure that we will all rise to the occasion once more."

About 280 leading bowls players from the UK, Holland and the Channel Islands will battle for 16 qualifying places in the finals.

The upsurge in entrants means the event will be extended to nine days, over which 544 matches will be played and 55,000 bowls delivered.

Details of the matches are available from the Stanley Club on (01207) 236941.