TOP-CLASS speedway is returning to the North-East after a decade-long absence.

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has given the go-ahead for a track at the South Tees Motorsports Park, at South Bank, which should be up operating by March.

Teesside has a rich speedway history. The town's Cleveland Park Stadium opened in 1928 and more than 15,000 people regularly packed the venue to watch the action.The track closed in 1996 and the land was sold for re-development.

Officials behind the latest plan hope to call the speedway team the Redcar Bears - a throwback to the halcyon days when the team to beat were the Middlesbrough Bears.

Redcar and Cleveland Development Agency, which operates the park, has agreed a ten-year lease with leading speedway promoter Chris Van Straaten.

The promoter, who is behind the elite Wolverhampton speedway team, has also promised to set up a speedway training school, including four days of free training for the community.

Mr Van Straaten is in Tenerife at the annual conference of the British Speedway Promoters Association. A decision on whether the team will ride in the sport's Premier or Conference League will be made on his return. The club will be run by Gareth Rogers, the former promoter of Eastbourne and the Isle of Wight.

He said: "Redcar Bears is the favourite name of the promotion - but we'll be open to suggestions. We are delighted to be bringing speedway back and we will be announcing which league we will operate in as soon as possible.

"We want to involve lots of people who were linked to speedway on Teesside and we will be holding a public meeting to discuss our plans - hopefully before Christmas."

The track will be between the park's quad bike circuit and Middlesbrough Road, with access in Dormer Way.

Race meetings will be on Thursday nights from March to October - following the same season as the Cleveland Park Stadium, with attendances of about 1,000 expected.

Cabinet member for economic development Councillor Vera Moody said: "We need to make the most of the Motorsports Park, which is an under-used asset, and speedway will definitely help us to achieve that as well as giving the borough a national profile in a sport which has always had a loyal fan-base on Teesside."