THE family of a North-East man engaged to fashion designer Stella McCartney have denied rumours the couple are about to move into one of the region's finest properties.

Rumours had been circulating that the 30-year-old daughter of former Beatle Sir Paul had bought the £8m Wynyard Hall, with fianc Alasdhair Willis, from Middlesbrough.

Wynyard Hall, near Stockton, comes complete with nearly 800 acres of parkland, two lodges, a 15-acre lake and a former horseracing yard.

London estate agent FPD Savills, which is handling the sale, said it had received no offers for the "well valued" property.

News that Miss McCartney is due to marry the 31-year-old advertising executive - a former pupil of Middlesbrough's Brackenhoe School - has fuelled speculation that the couple will return to his North-East roots.

But Mr Willis's family, of Marton, Middlesbrough, said yesterday they knew nothing about the proposed purchase, but declined to comment further.

John Vaughn, spokesman for FPD Savills, said the hall remained on the market because no one had put in a firm bid.

He said: "As far as I am aware, the property has not been sold.

"I would know if it had been, particularly if it had gone to a celebrity.

"We are really only just building up the marketing campaign for the sale of the hall and we have not yet received an offer for it."

Bought in 1987 by former Newcastle United chairman Sir John Hall, the hall is the home of Sir John's son, Douglas, and his family.

It is thought the hall, which is the headquarters of the Cameron Hall company, has been discretely marketed for sale for more than a year.

The former seat of the Marquess of Londonderry, whose visitors included Winston Churchill and Harold Macmillan, is a grade II listed building and was restored to its former glory by Sir John Hall.

Last year, Sir Paul McCartney set his sights on buying the same £2.5m North-East mansion as fellow rock legend Eric Clapton.

But he decided not to press ahead with his plans to buy Wycliffe Hall, in Teesdale, County Durham.