THE region hit a high note at the weekend when thousands of people turned out to enjoy the BBC Proms in the Park.

The event, held in Middlesbrough, was a spectacular culmination to months of hard work and campaigning to get the Proms to the Tees Valley.

Performers at the show, which took place in the town's Centre Square, included the Northern Sinfonia and X Factor finalists Journey South.

There was also a live big-screen link to London's Royal Albert Hall for the Last Night of the Proms celebrations, and ended with a fireworks finale.

Opera singer Suzannah Clarke, who trained with the late Pavarotti's tutor in Italy and was a leading campaigner to get the event in the town, was delighted with the performances.

She said: "My dream of staging a world-class event in the Tees Valley came true on Saturday night. It was a wonderful musical sound and spectacle and absolutely terrific to be part of the celebrations happening all over the country.

"It was a magical evening for everyone concerned and the audience played a major part in that. The coverage that appeared during the television screening highlighted that Middlesbrough should be taken seriously as a cultural centre."

Similar events were held on Saturday in London's Hyde Park, Carrickfergus Castle, in Northern Ireland, Swansea and Glasgow.

The official attendance for the event, the first time it has been held on Teesside, was 5,582.

Councillor David Budd, Middlesbrough Council's executive member for regeneration and culture, said: "Thousands of people of all ages enjoyed this musical experience and went away telling people what a good time they had.

"The event was a great success, for the organisers, the Tees Valley councils and all our other partners who came together to put on a real spectacle for the region and the nation.

"Above all, it will do much to enhance Middlesbrough's reputation as a place that is facing and shaping the future with confidence."

BBC Tees presenter Matthew Davies hosted the evening, which also boasted performances from The Wildcats of Kilkenny and the Tees Valley Youth Choir.

A film prepared by students from the University of Teesside featuring local celebrities endorsing the event was also shown.