PRIME Minister Tony Blair has sent a special good luck message to the Local Heroes of grass roots sport whose achievements will be celebrated tonight.

A 600-strong audience will gather at Tall Trees Hotel, near Yarm, this evening for The Northern Echo's Local Heroes Awards 2002, powered by npower.

The ceremony has developed into the biggest night of the year for those dedicated to grass roots sport.

Stars from professional sport will rub shoulders with amateur competitors, coaches and officials from a huge range of sports, from basketball to water polo, from archery to table tennis.

The VIP guests will include Newcastle Falcons' director of rugby Rob Andrew and colleague Liam Botham, plus Tore Andre Flo and Stephen Wright, from Sunderland Football Club.

Newcastle United star Craig Bellamy is also hoping to be there if he can make it back in time from the club's Champions' League encounter against Feyenoord in Holl-and.

Mr Blair said: "The encouragement of sport at the grass roots is absolutely vital and my congratulations go to all those who are being recognised for their dedication in such a wide range of activities. This is a wonderful initiative and I hope it goes from strength to strength."

Rose Gardner, community relations manager for npower, said: "Local Heroes represents a fantastic community-based initiative and npower is looking forward to working with The Northern Echo, rewarding the achievements of grassroots sports people all over the region, who deserve recognition for their commitment, dedication and effort."

The evening will be compered by Peter Barron, editor of The Northern Echo, with a special Question of Sport hosted by Paul "Goffy" Gough, from Century FM.

The event will also feature a charity auction in aid of Sports Aid Northern, which gives grants to promising young sportsmen and women across the region.

Hundreds of nominations have poured in for the event, with competitors ranging from ten-year-olds to those in their eighties.

* This year's winners will be announced in tomorrow's edition of Local Heroes, the grass roots sports supplement published every Friday free with The Northern Echo.