A MEDICAL student transformed himself into sandwich-board man to help his home town.

Osteopathy student Drew Crichton, 27, thought he had landed a few days modelling work in London, where he now lives, to help him out with his student grant - but was mystified when they asked him about his North-East background.

All became clear when he was told he had to don a sandwich board at the world's biggest industry conference in order to direct people to the Newcastle/Gateshead stand.

Wylam-born Drew, said: "I wondered why they were interested in my North-East background, but as soon as I found out it was to help my home town, I got right into the part. It was a great little job for three days - money for old rope."

The Newcastle Gateshead Initiative launched the region's first convention bureau at the Confex conference, at Earls Court, London.

A spokesman for the group complimented Drew for enthusiastically informing delegates of the Millennium Bridge, the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, and other developments in Gateshead and Newcastle