NORTH-EAST Cross Country champions Sunderland charged to their third grand slam from six consecutive North-East Harrier League victories to clinch the Division One senior men's team title in emphatic style at Blaydon.

The Wearsiders had four over-40s to thank for their runaway success in the handicap event as they counted their six runners in the first 26 for an impressive score of 70 points - a huge 87 ahead of runners-up Blaydon Harriers.

Sunderland retained the coveted Sisterton Trophy for a 20th time since the Harrier League split into three divisions in 1980. But only twice before had they gone through the six fixtures unbeaten.

Sunderland were led to victory by veteran Rob Rush, who finished third as he took full advantage of a five-minute start with the slow pack runners in the 9K race. The other winning team members were Gary Lancaster (6th), Tom Doughty (10th), Keith Elliott (11th), Michael Hill (14th) and George Harden (26th).

Last season, in a weather-ravaged programme reduced to four meetings, Sunderland retained their title on count-back after finishing level on points with their arch-rivals Morpeth Harriers, who also conceded their North-East crown to the Wearsiders in December after nine consecutive championships.

The senior men's individual championship was won for a sixth time by 38-year-old Stewy Bell, of Chester-le-Street.

The former Great Britain international went into the final fixture with an unassailable lead and clinched the crown by clocking the third fastest time from the fast pack.

Great Britain Junior World Championships representative Ryan McLeod, son of Olympic 10,000m silver medallist Mike McLeod, was the fastest from the fast-pack.

He finished fifth overall, 87 seconds behind the winner, Andrew Lawrence, despite giving the Morpeth slow-pack runner five minutes' start.

* North-East half marathon champion Stephen Hepples won yesterday's Hartlepool Marina five-mile road race in 24 minutes 35 seconds, beating Morpeth Harrier Martin Scaife by seven seconds.