TELEVISION sports correspondent Mary Rhodes will be returning to her roots when she is the guest of Herefordshire Sports Council at their 24th annual awards presentation evening.

Mary was educated at Weobley High School and Hereford Sixth Form College before gaining higher education qualifications.

After working with BBC Hereford and Worcester, she made it on to national TV screens where she has reported on sport for the BBC on major international events as well as some of the foremost national ones.

She can often be seen presenting the sports headlines on BBC news bulletins.

Mary will be presenting the nine awards for achievement during 2003 which range from individual at senior men, women's and junior levels, team awards for juniors and seniors, a top coach award and one for sporting excellence despite disability.

There is also the valued Service to Sport award, presented in recognition of prolonged involvement in a supportive role, with the Club of the Year award the most recent addition to the honours list.

The awards presentations are followed by a buffet and social evening.

The evening takes place at the Royal National College for the Blind in Venns Lane, Hereford next Wednesday, February 11, beginning at 7.15pm.