NEWLY-CROWNED North-East cross country champion Andrew Caine is hoping to follow in the footsteps of his father John by representing Scotland in next summer's Commonwealth Games.

Caine senior finished fifth in the 10,000m when the games were held in Edinburgh in 1970 and now his son will concentrate his efforts on winning selection for the 25-lap track event in Manchester.

Already a Scottish international, Caine was silver-medallist in the Scottish Cross Country Championships last season and he is hoping to go one better at Falkirk on February 23.

But first the Tynedale Harrier will compete in the Northern Championships at Derby next month before spearheading the North-East team in the UK Inter-Counties Championships at Wollaton Park, Nottingham, on February 9.

The 24-year-old Loughborough sports science graduate said: "I have a busy cross country programme but it is all geared towards helping me fulfil my ambition to win selection for Scotland in the Commonwealth Games."

Caine senior was thrilled by his son's performance in winning the regional cross country title at Consett, where he claimed the scalp of reigning English National cross country champion Michael Openshaw, who finished second and also halted the winning sequence of Brian Rushworth.

l Great Britain junior international Stephen Hepples, of Loftus AC, beat leading Yorkshire runner Carl Thackery in winning the Scarborough 10K. Hepples clocked 30 mins 47 secs, ten seconds ahead of Thackery, with new Marske's Shaun O'Grady in third place.