CHILDREN listened to a series of stories at the weekend as a free festival came to Darlington.

The environment-themed event brought storytellers from across the country to the Drinkfield Marsh nature reserve.

Visitors enjoyed displays of circus skills, face painting and other arts activities.

Organised by Darlington Borough Council and the Tees Forest group, the festival was part of a wider environmental events programme in the region.

It aimed to raise awareness of, and encourage visitors to, local nature reserves.

Drinkfield Marsh, open all year round, offers visitors the chance to experience a variety of wildlife, including feeding the ducks, pond dipping for newts and invertebrates, and listening to skylarks