THOUSANDS of visitors streamed into a North-East city at the weekend for an annual Christmas festival.

The two-day event in Durham featured family entertainment, live music and a traditional market on the Palace Green.

Local performers included Lanchester Choir, in the Market Place, and Spennymoor Brass Band, in Milburngate Shopping Centre.

On Saturday, 100 children took part in a lantern procession through the city, which finished with a carol service at the cathedral.

Durham was able to boast the "real" Santa Claus after organisers signed an exclusive UK tourism deal with Rovaniemi, in Lapland, the traditional home of Father Christmas.

At the weekend, Durham City Council also opened a controversial temporary car park on The Sands.

The 175-space site is on common land near the River Wear. It has opened, along with another with space for 105 cars on a nearby former Post Office depot, to replace the city's Walkergate car park, which is due for redevelopment.

Plans to use The Sands caused an outcry from residents and led to a public inquiry, where the inspector restricted its use as a car park to two years.

Work on Walkergate, which will include a 500-space, multi-storey car park, flats and bars, has already been delayed several times.

A council spokesman said The Sands would be used until Walkergate was completed.

He said: "The opening date has been brought forward to provide additional parking during the busy Christmas Festival weekend."

He added that work on Walkergate could start imminently after it was delayed for the festival.