A YOUNG actress has proved that breaking a leg is no obstacle to treading the boards.

Ten-year-old Katie Lydon was devastated when her accident threatened to bring the curtain down on her performance in a community stage production.

But producers tweaked the script to enable her to play her part in a wheelchair.

Katie is one of more than 50 residents of Witton Gilbert, County Durham, involved in an ambitious production aimed at putting the theatre group firmly on the arts map.

Group spokesman Stephen Green said last night: "Katie, who plays a dwarf in Snow White and the Magnificent Seven, was devastated when she broke her leg during PE at school.

"But we thought of a way of integrating her wheelchair into the production and changed the script, so that she can be wheeled on by one of the other dwarves.

"While the others are dancing she bops away in her wheelchair - it works quite well."

Mr Green said: "We have been going for ten years, as a group, now, but attendances have been falling off over the last few years, so we decided to really give it a big push this year.

"This is the first time we are staging a play with a script of our own. It was written by Deborah Harris, who was helped by fellow cast members."

The play will be staged at Fyndoune College, Sacriston, near Durham City, at 7pm on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of next week, with a matinee at 2pm on the Saturday.

Tickets costing £3 for adults and £1.50 for children, can be obtained from Witton Gilbert Workingmens Club or the village post office