SCORES of entries have started to pour in for this year's Great North Walk, as people from across the region prepare to march across its new location.

The event is to be held in Darlington for the first time since it started in 1988, and it is the most southerly venue it has been staged.

Up to 5,000 people are expected to take part in the nine-and-a-half-mile event, which will take place on Sunday, July 23, and will tour some of Darlington's most picturesque and historic countryside.

Among those who have signed up is the town's MP, former Health Secretary Alan Milburn, who will take part with his partner, Ruth, and their two sons, Joe and Danny.

The Great North Walk is a key element in The Northern Echo's Chance to Live campaign, which runs in partnership with Darlington Borough Council and the town's Primary Care Trust.

The campaign was launched in 2000 after the newspaper's deputy chief photographer, Ian Weir, suffered a fatal heart attack aged only 38, after he had waited nearly eight months for a triple heart bypass operation.

The Northern Echo initially called for speedier treatment for patients who needed heart bypass surgery, but after huge investments in heart surgery and a dramatic drop in waiting times, the focus is now on persuading people in the region to lead healthier lifestyles.

Mr Milburn is a keen supporter of the campaign, and said he was delighted the Great North Walk was to be held in Darlington.

"I'm really looking forward to the event, and to doing it with my family," he said.

"It's a really great occasion for families to take part in, and I would encourage others to do the same."