POLISH residents who have made County Durham their home attended a welcome event this week.

Wear Valley District Council staff were on hand to give advice about local services to the guests at a welcome evening held at Bishop Auckland Town Hall on Wednesday night.

All information was translated into Polish by interpreter Alaxandra Jarocka, who speaks seven languages and moved to Consett from Poland recently. Residents were informed how to access local services, how to vote and how to contact local councillors.

Polish friends Jerzy Czekata and Daniel Bubel, from Angate Street, in Wolsingham, are working at Weardale Steel as metal workers and brought a selection of Polish food to the event.

Joanna Defty, marketing and communications manager with the council said: "The purpose of the event was to welcome the rising numbers of Polish people in our area and help them integrate into the community.

"The council has a responsibility to encourage migrants to interact and participate with the community and encourage community cohesion.

"It was great to meet some of our Polish residents and it was interesting to find out about their families and lifestyles.

"They were very grateful to us for organising the event."