JOB seekers flocked to a fair aimed at boosting employment and career opportunities in Darlington.

The Darlington Into Work event, held at the town's Dolphin Centre on Monday, followed a similar event last year and attracted a bumper crowd of young and old alike.

Peter Barron, Editor of The Northern Echo, opened the Darlington Borough Council fair, which the newspaper supported.

Within 15 minutes, attendance had exceeded expectations.

Exhibitors at the event included business and training providers from around Darlington borough and the surrounding area, as well as colleges, giving school-leavers and people who were searching for career changes a chance to find out what is on offer.

Andrew Tait, 31, from Mowden, Darlington, was made redundant from Rothmans after 15 years as a fitter and is looking for a job for the first time since he left school.

He said of Darlington Into Work: "If it helps people get work, it can't be bad for anyone really. People need all the help they can get, to be honest."

Another man, who has recently moved to Darlington from the south, said the fair was good for people such as himself, who were unaware of the options available in a new town.

Exhibitors and organisers also believed the event was successful, and a much-needed arena for them and the job seekers.

Chris Keelty, of training providers Archon, in Stockton, said: "I think there should be more of this type of thing, especially when it's in conjunction with a paper like The Northern Echo."

He said he would like to see similar events in places like Stockton or Hartlepool.

"Anything that can bring unemployed people in contact with either prospective employers or the assistance that's available for them to help them find work is an initiative we should all take our hats off to."

Darlington council's economic development manager, Andrew Perkin, said: "We are hoping a lot of job opportunities will be created as a result of today.