FORMER Great Britain middle-distance international Terry West is ready to turn his back on a year of injury heartache.

The 32-year-old Tyneside teacher has recovered from a persistent ankle problem and hopes to make a comeback in next month's North-East Track and Field Championships.

"I was on crutches for three months because my ankle wouldn't heal," said the Gosforth Harrier, who once was in the reckoning to compete in the Atlanta Olympics.

"But now I am back in training and I hope to regain some of my old form."

West first made an impact when he won the English Schools junior boys' 800m title in 1983, and also won several regional championships over 800m and 1500m.

He made his international breakthrough in 1996 when he won the AAA Indoors 1500m title and went on to take second place for Great Britain in a six-nations international in Slovenia, clocking a personal-best 1 min 47.70 secs for 800m, at the time the second fastest in the UK.

West's triumphs included the Interflora Classic 1500m race in Birmingham, which he won in 3 mins 43.51 secs and he was second to top Frenchman Abdel Chekhemani in the big McDonalds International meeting in Glasgow.

But West's progress was blighted by a series of injuries and he last raced in the Ernie Thompson Gosforth Park relays a year gone March, when he led the field for Gosforth on his leg.

West, who was the North-East 5K road race champion in 1996, is now hoping that he can steer clear of further injuries and regain his status as one of the region's top middle-distance men.

l Morpeth Harriers won another two medals in the McDonalds Young Athletes Road Relay Championships at Sutton Coldfield.

Morpeth's under-13 girls team finished third, while the under-17s won the silver medals.

In the under-17 men's race Chris Parr (Gateshead) and Ryan McLeod (Elswick) headed the field on the opening leg, but their teams faded to seventh and 18th respectively at the end of the four stages.