THE bard of Barnsley has paid homage to Stockton in verse.

Popular Radio 4 poet Ian McMillan, known as the Barnsley Bard, made an informal visit to see learners at the Adult Education Service in the town.

He was there to help celebrate National Refugee Week and found time to speak at an English for Speakers of Other Languages (Esol) class.

During the lesson, he performed a selection of his own verse and worked with the group to create a poem about Stockton.

The rhyme features multilingual contributions from many of the students and refers to John Walker, the Stockton man who invented the friction match.

Janice Pitt, Esol class tutor, said: "This charismatic and very funny poet brought smiles to the faces of students of many nationalities as they joined him in reciting Drinks Machines, one of his most popular poems."

The poem reads: Stockton, Stockton, market town, peaceful, peaceful, neat and clean, footsteps, getting closer, and closer, and closer, It's the man who invented the match, I fosfero!, streichholz, allumette, sungnang, shkatt, kibret, diasleig.

Guests, including Stockton Mayor, Councillor Jennie Beaumont, heard Mr McMillan recite the poem at a lunch in the Family Centre, in Dovecot Street.