The North-East is to become the centre of a new UK stroke research network.

The decision to chose Newcastle University to lead the network means that North-East patients should be among the first in the country to get access to pioneering new drugs.

The North-East university will act the co-ordinating centre for research at the universities of Birmingham, Glasgow, Nottingham and Oxford. The Department of Health plans to invest £20m into the project over five years.

Strokes, caused when the flow of blood to the brain is interrupted by a clot, is the third most common cause of death in the UK after heart disease and cancer.

Specialists at Newcastle University already have a national reputation in this field.

Professor Gary Ford, a consultant stroke specialist at Newcastle's Freeman Hospital and director of the National Stroke Research Centre, has been carrying out research into so-called 'neuro-protective' agents.

Research suggests that such agents may be able to minimise damage to the brain during a stroke and prevent further strokes in future.

Patients who are treated in Newcastle have also been given existing clot-busting drugs after the normal time limit has expired to see if they continue to have a protective effect.

One patient who has alredy benefited from being given a new type of stroke drug is John Pearson, 62, from Newcastle.

With his family's permission Mr Pearson was given the neuro-protective drug alteplase at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle three hours after he had a stroke.

At the time he was admitted to hospital Mr Pearson had lost the use of his left arm and leg and his speech was badly affected.

After a month in hospital and rehabilitation he is well on the way to making a full recovery.

"I am glad my family made the decision to take part in the trial, because I believe that the drug treatment I was given has helped my recovery. I would encourage other people to do the same," said Mr Pearson.

Apart from drug trials the new stroke network aims to increase collaboration with the pharmaceutical industry and make doctors and nurses more aware of new therapies.

Prof Ford said: 'Advances in treatments developed in clinical trials of stroke will reduce the current unacceptably high death rate from stroke and long term disability with its heavy burden on stroke patients and their families'."