AN iconic North-East bridge was dismantled to be sold and re-built in the United States in the last story line of hit TV comedy Auf Wiedersehen Pet.

Now 6.5 American TV viewers are to see what they would have got for their money had the fiction featuring Middlesbrough's iconic Transporter Bridge been fact.

Ann Curry, celebrity anchorwoman of NBC's Today programme in New York is to bungee jump off the world's largest working bridge of its type.

The award winning journalist who has reported from Baghdad, Dharfur, Rwanda, Sri Lanka and Albania is flying to Middlesbrough, to jump off the bridge, to raise $10,000 for Save the Children and The United Way.

She wanted to bungee jump from a bridge and as there are no bungee operations on the east coast of America she contacted the UK Bungee Club who have arranged for her to do the jump from the 225 ft high Teesside bridge on Monday, December 17.

The bridge which recently came top of a local poll to find the town's favourite place and has featured in the film Billy Elliot, the TV series Auf Wiedersehen, The Fast Show and Steel RiverBlues, will now be seen in 6.5 million homes and bars across the USA.

Ms Curry's show has the largest breakfast audience in the States.

The transporter bridge will be closed to the public from 11am to 3pm while the bungee jump takes place.