LEADING lady veteran Sheila Allen collected a hat-trick of top titles yesterday - and then expressed her disappointment at not being able to take on the world's best over-40s in Australia next month.

The 42-year-old Sunderland University cleaner won the 10,000m and cross country gold medals when the World Veteran Championships were held in Gateshead two years ago, and was leading in the marathon when she was forced out through injury.

But she decided not to travel to Brisbane to defend her titles after suffering a niggling knee problem earlier this year.

Since then, however, she has won a string of road races and yesterday won the British Veterans', North-East Veterans' and North-East championships with a runaway victory in yesterday's Croxdale ten-miler to re-establish herself as the queen of UK veteran athletics.

But Allen does not regret her decision not to travel to travel halfway round the world in search of further honours.

She said: "I am very disappointed not to be able to defend my titles in Australia, but I am still limping as I warm up before races and I would not have been able to do myself justice.

"The next World Veteran Championships are in Puerto Rico in two years' time when I will be moving up into the 45 age group category and I am looking forward to competing there."

Allen took it easy in the hot and humid conditions at Croxdale after running away from her rivals on the first three of the four laps, but still won emphatically by nearly four minutes.

She said: "I knew from the way the spectators on the roadside were shouting that I had a big lead so I just took it easy on the last lap and tried to enjoy myself."

The British Veterans' men's title went to 50-year-old Midlands teacher Mike Hager, a Great Britain international.

Hager beat Walsham over-40 Alex Rowe by ten seconds, with Elswick Harrier Ieuan Ellis a further 16 seconds behind.

Ellis won the North-East and North East Veterans' ten mile championship, but admitted afterwards he is not really interested in winning trophies any longer.

The university head of department said: "I haven't been able to train properly for a few months because of work commitments and I am only about 75 per cent race fit."