PEOPLE in Darlington will soon be able to book theatre tickets online thanks to a revamped website.

Darlington Borough Council's website has undergone major changes with the help of a County Durham-based business consultants.

Waterstons has created an interactive website to keep the people of Darlington informed about the services available.

The new website replaces the previous council site, and provides a much more extensive and up-to-date information for residents.

Visitors to the site can also take part in "virtual tours" of local leisure facilities and other business and tourism venues.

As work continues on the site, an online booking system for Darlington Arts Centre and Darlington Civic Theatre, the Dolphin Centre and other leisure activities, will be added, with further interactive developments to follow.

Waterstons was awarded the contract from a shortlist of six, out of 165 companies which registered an interest.

Ken Walker, information technology manager at Darlington council, said: "The borough council is firmly committed to making the most of new technologies to deliver better quality and accessible public services and this new website is an important cornerstone of our strategy."