A NORTH-EAST bridge champion has been selected to represent his country in an international match which will be conducted over the Internet.

Clive Owen, a chartered accountant from Darlington, recently won the North East Bridge Player of the Year for the third successive year.

He will play for the All England Seniuors against the Australian junior team in a game that will travel the globe via computer on July 8.

Clive, chairman of the North-East Bridge Association for the past two years, said: "This is a great honour. It has always been an ambition of mine to represent my country and it is particularly interesting to play on the Internet."