COMMUNITY stalwarts received a surprise presentation during a summer fair at a County Durham village.

Long-serving members of the West Cornforth and District Community Association were presented with clocks to mark their years of service.

The group was established in 1968 to act as trustees to the community centre.

Joan Sweeting has been involved from the start, many of the 33 years as secretary. Treasurer Joyce Stephenson has also put in sterling service, and chairman Tommy Dodds and his wife Gwen got involved with the village youth club just after they married.

All four were presented with their gifts by the mayor, Coun George Morgan, during the West Cornforth Millennium fair on Sunday, which attracted up to 500 people.

Organiser Ray Sunman said: "We had a really good day and everything went off with barely a hitch."

About £1,000 was raised, which will go towards staging next year's fair.