A SELECT group of villagers have been captured in a snapshot of neighbouring communities as part of the millennium celebration.

About 70 people in Blackhall and Horden, former pit villages on the Durham coast, were photographed as a memento to mark the turn of the millennium.

The subjects in the community portraits came from all age groups.

Copies of the photograph have been distributed to the nearly 200 people from Blackhall and Horden who were involved in the project.

They received their commemorative print in a special folder accompanied by a certificate.

Senior library assistants Bea Manghan, of Blackhall Library, and Christine Smith, of Horden Library, thought up the idea, which was backed by the Turning the Tide Millennium Project to restore the Durham coastline.

Christine said it was an especially appropriate occasion in Horden, because the village celebrated its centenary last year.

She said: "Because of the centenary falling in the year 2000, we were keen to do something memorable to mark this, and the millennium and the community portraits seemed like a good way to record the occasion and involve everyone."

Turning the Tide is coming to the end of its five-year span.

The £10m scheme involved removing colliery waste and rejuvenating the Durham coastline.

It is being supported by 14 partners, including local councils, the National Trust, the European Union, Northumbrian Water, Durham Wildlife Trust, development agency One NorthEast, the Countryside Agency and Groundwork East Durham.