SCIENTISTS may have only a few years to beat the deadly menace of drug-resistant superbugs, the region's new professor of infectious diseases warned last night.

Professor Adrian Walmsley believes that a new generation of antibiotic drugs must be developed within a decade to avoid a potential disaster.

"Within ten years, many of the pathogens we are looking at are going to be resistant to the drugs that we have got available," said Durham University's chair in infectious diseases.

More than 3,500 people were struck down by the potentially fatal superbug in England during the first half of this year.

They included 209 in the North-East and 338 in Yorkshire and Humberside.

In 1993, there were 13 deaths in the UK where MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureas) was mentioned on the death certificate. By 1998 that figure had risen to 114 and experts predict that overall numbers are set to rise.

The leading biochemist has recently moved to the Wolfson Institute on Durham University's Queen's Campus in Stockton to carry out urgent research into drug-resistant strains of MRSA and tuberculosis.

Six scientists headed by Prof Walmsley will use a specially-equipped secure laboratory to study drug-resistant bacteria.

They hope to find a chink in the superbugs' armour, which will allow a new type of antibiotic drug to be developed.

Prof Walmsley said the new "Category 3" lab that is being fitted out is the only one of its kind in the region. A system of negative pressure, linked to incredibly fine air filtration, ensures that bacteria cannot escape.

Prof Walmsley warned that drug-resistant superbugs in hospitals posed a growing threat. "You have a particular problem in hospitals because they are breeding grounds for bacteria," he said.

" There is a constant stream of people going in and out, and most of them are ill.

"They are bringing in these organisms all the time, then they can pass them from one person to another.

"It is already reaching a frightening stage where people can go into hospital and they can pick up one of these bacterial infections because they have had a minor operation, and at the end of the day they cannot treat it because there is no drug."

If we lose the fight against superbugs, no one can predict the course of events. But Prof Walmsley argues that the trend towards bigger and bigger superhospitals may have to be reversed if larger concentrations of sick people pose an unacceptable risk of cross-infection.

They will also look at possible ways of disarming a protective mechanism used by the tuberculosis bug.

"TB is the biggest killer in the world. There are millions of cases every year and we are seeing a big resurgence. We thought we had got rid of TB but it's back and we are starting to get strains of TB that are resistant."

While mankind still has a few effective TB drugs left, scientists fear that may not be true for much longer.

Prof Walmsley hopes to start work on his research as soon as the new laboratory is commissioned early next year.