BURY FC top scorer Gareth Seddon has joined Third Division rivals Rushden and Diamonds after rejecting a new deal.

The Burnley-born striker ended the last campaign the club's leading marksman with 11 goals.

One of nine players offered new terms after finishing the season out of contract, the former RAF training instructor, who was 25 last Sunday, was tempted away by an improved two-year contract by the newly-relegated Diamonds.

Seddon arrived at Gigg Lane in August 2001 after just missing out on a contract with First Division Reading.

But despite finishing the season as leading scorer with eight goals, his first full season in league football ended on a disappointing note when the Shakers were relegated to Division Three.

If that campaign was a sickener for Seddon the following one was a personal nightmare.

A sever back problem connected to a blood disorder left him a virtual passenger throughout the year before fighting back in time to get some action in for the closing games of the season.

He was put on a short term deal at the start of 2003-2004 and earned an extension after showing signs of his pre-injury goalscoring form.

Eleven strikes, including eight in his last 14 games, saw him end the season on the up, so it will come as a big disappointment to Shakers fans that he couldn't be tempted to stay.

In his overall record for the club he scored 19 goals in 55 starts with 27 substitute appearances.

While Seddon opts for pastures new, utility man Lee Unsworth has decided to sign a new 12-month deal.

Atherton-based Unsworth will be starting his fifth season at Gigg Lane after joining on a free transfer from Crewe Alexandra in July 2000.

The decision of the versatile 31-year-old to stick with the Shakers means that only fellow defenders Colin Woodthorpe and Matt Barrass have yet to put pen to paper on new deals.

Unsworth joins Simon Whaley, Steve Maden, Dave Flitcroft, Daniel Douglas-Pringle and Jon Cartledge in signing new summer contracts.