NORTH-EAST police officers are joining an emotional transatlantic pilgrimage to mark next week's anniversary of the world's worst ever act of terrorism.

Four officers from Peterlee, County Durham, and one from Ponteland, near Newcastle Airport, will leave tomorrow for New York to take part in the commemorative service to mark the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Centre.

Sergeant Stephen Harvey, and PCs Siobhan Jones, Kevin Robson and Jim Cowell, all stationed at Peterlee, and Jim's wife, Sgt Christine Cowell, who is based at Ponteland, will be among the hundreds of emergency service representatives helping to support the American city as it remembers its darkest hour.

For the Cowells, the visit will be particularly poignant because they had visited the twin towers during an earlier stay in New York.

"We were particularly devastated by the disaster and had intended to return to New York to pay our own personal respects," said PC Cowell.

But when the couple saw an Internet message from officers at London's Metropolitan Police, who were planning the visit, they decided to make the journey earlier than they expected to coincide with the September 11 anniversary.

Along with their three colleagues, the Cowells will be paying for the trip themselves. Durham Constabulary's chief constable has granted each of the officers one day's extra leave to attend the service, with the rest of their stay being made up of annual holiday.

As well as visiting Ground Zero, the officers will go on a tour of duty with the New York Police, and all five will be in uniform for the service.

* A North Yorkshire town will be paying tribute to the World Trade Centre and Pentagon victims on September 11.

To commemorate the first anniversary, Harrogate Borough Council is arranging for a flare to be fired from its main offices in Crescent Gardens.

The tribute will take place at 1.55pm - the time the first of the hijacked aircraft struck the twin towers - and will be followed by a minute's silence.

Staff will congregate outside the main offices at 1.50pm, and the public are invited to take part.