YATES the black labrador was in the dog house after he almost put paid to a disabled organisation's bid for charitable status.

Disability Action in Richmondshire spent years wading through complex documents and eventually completed the final application form, which had to be signed by all ten committee members.

The final signature was to be that of Jack Horsley, of Colburn, who had taken delivery of a young guide dog just four months before.

But seconds after Mr Horsley's wife Sue read it to her husband, Yates snatched it, dragged it under a table and chewed it to shreds.

Mr Horsley said: "Signing the form was the final stage in years of work to gain charitable status. There was no copy of the document, it was the only one, and within seconds it was shredded."

Yates, now 19 months old, arrived at the couple's home in Peppermint Drive in November after Mr Horsley's old dog, Lauren - a sister of Home Secretary David Blunkett's guide dog Lucy - retired.

Mr Horsley said: "Once in harness he is a guide dog, good at his job, but once the harness comes off this glint comes into his eye and he's thinking about what he can get up to next."

Luckily the Charity Commissioners saw the funny side and the application went through without further hitches.

The group aims to deal actively with problems of access, raise public and local authority awareness of these issues, help groups to work together to avoid duplication and act as a forum for disabled people to air their concerns.

Recent projects included advising North Yorkshire highways department on installing dropped kerbs in Richmond.

Organisations which must adapt their premises to meet the Disability Discrimination Act by 2004 have also sought help and advice from the group.

The group is keen to hear from disabled people. For further information please call Linda Curran on (01748) 824626.