THIEVES who stole 300 tonnes of railway track will not stop plans to revive a mothballed North-East line, campaigners were assured last night.

More than two miles of rail was ripped up and taken away, leaving just the bare track bed.

Over the weekend, police made door-to-door inquiries around Penshaw, between Sunderland and Chester-le-Street, following the £250,000 theft from the disused Leamside Line.

The Strategic Rail Authority's (SRA) ten-year regional plan includes proposals to reinstate the line, between Ferryhill and Pelaw in Gateshead.

Last used by passengers in 1964, it was mothballed 13 years ago when freight movements ceased.

Thieves posing as bona-fide rail contractors spent several days removing track sections piece-by-piece, apparently intending to sell it for scrap, before the alert was raised last Thursday.

Transport police officers, tipped off by rail contractor Jarvis, caught a group of up to ten men removing lengths of track.

Although most fled in a van, three were arrested. Officers recovered three tonnes of metal from a trailer, several cut up sections of track and an array of cutting equipment.

A suspected "supervisor" was traced to Sheffield and arrested on Friday.

All four were interviewed and bailed for six weeks.

Detective Sergeant Alan Darlington said: "This was a plausible group and local people thought they were genuine workers."

The Leamside Line revival is backed by Durham County Council, whose environment and technical services director Chris Tunstall said: "This would be unlikely to effect plans because if the line is ever reopened most of the track would have to be replaced anyway."

Anyone with information on the theft can contact British Transport Police, on (0800) 405040.