FORMER neighbours hoping to keep their 1950s community spirit alive have had to cancel a long-planned reunion.

Old friends from South Church, Bishop Auckland, had spent months preparing for a reunion on December 8 in the Territorial Army Centre, St Andrew's Road.

But because of the lifting of foot-and-mouth restrictions, soldiers based at the centre will be on exercise that weekend, leaving nobody to run the event. One of the organisers, John Beaston, who lives at Heighington, said that 100 tickets had been sold.

He said: "Everybody is disappointed, but we have no choice. It is too late to find anywhere else.

"All the money will be refunded and we will try to hold another event sometime next year."