A free monster truck rally that took place at a County Durham rugby club this weekend caused traffic chaos as petrol heads flocked to the event in their droves – are you in any of the pictures?
Darlington Rugby Club was the place to be this weekend (July 29 and 30) as it hosted a free monster truck show, with families heading along to watch cars be crushed and have a chance to ride along in one of the trucks themselves.
The weekend, whilst free for attendees, was in aid of the Darlington Mayor’s charity ManHealth, with organisers hoping the event could raise money for the organisation that supports men’s mental health.
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Families were spotted heading into the event as the gates opened at 11am on both Saturday and Sunday, as the show was promised to be a unique experience - bringing monster trucks to the town for the first time.
An ice cream van, a world food court and carnival rides were also on offer for anyone who wanted a bite to eat amidst the chaos of the trucks that were putting on an unmissable show around the club.
Ahead of the weekend, organiser Paul Evans from Shildon said the weekend would be ideal for children of all ages.
He said: “Children just love monster trucks. Not only that, but they will also love the gigantic fairground we are putting on. We are going to have vintage old-fashioned chair aeroplanes, a proper Ferris wheel and a helter-skelter.
“On top of all of that, as a special treat, children and their parents have the chance to have a ride on a monster truck, which is amazing because you’ll go around the main arena and have mud flying everywhere!”
However, many Darlington residents have been quick to point out the huge delays the free event has caused, with traffic pictured piling up across the town.
Locals online have called the traffic a "joke" whilst others claimed it took them half an hour to travel from one side of town to the other.
There was also allegedly "not a traffic warden in sight" according to some, meaning that cars that were left on verges were unchecked.
A Darlington woman said: "We were sat for 40 minutes at 10:30am to be told it was full in the car park. So everyone was just parking on grass verges and double yellows.
"The roundabouts were stuck too. It was an absolute nightmare so we escaped to the seaside instead."
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The A66 slip road was backed up causing major delays as people abandoned their cars on the grass to head to the Rugby Club.
Here are some pictures of the event – can you spot yourself?
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