A FAMILY-OF-FIVE, who left the North-East to move abroad, are helping other British families to start a new life.

Gary and Sophie Lancaster are building their own house and other holiday villas in the Bulgarian coastal resort of Varna.

The pair left their Darlington home in March, after the birth of their third child.

They had wanted to move abroad for a new challenge.

The couple looked at places in France and Spain, before they decided to move to one of the EU's newest countries.

Mrs Lancaster said: "We just wanted a bit of a change and a challenge. Bulgaria seemed to have a lot of opportunities. It is an up-and-coming resort so we decided to make the move."

They bought three plots of land in a small village near Varna, where 16 families from the UK already live, to build new homes.

Mr Lancaster said: "We found that house prices are going up and people can't afford the luxury properties they thought they could. So that's why we decided on the part-ownership."

The family sold their house in High Grange, Darlington, in March, just weeks after it was put up for sale.

The couple have three children Megan, ten, Jordan, three, and Matthew, who was born this year on January 22 - his father's 51st birthday.

Megan has been at private school since they moved to Bulgaria and is due to start state school next month.

Jordan is ready to start in kindergarten.

The couple are also setting up a website about their homes at www.lancastrianhomes.co.u