THE long arm of the law offered an international hand of friendship when police officers reassured arts performers they were no threat.

Dancers from Slovakia were alarmed at the presence of uniformed police at the Billingham International Folklore Festival.

They were used to the police patrols in their own country signalling trouble and worried that perhaps their visas were not in order for the week-long event.

However, the artists were assured nothing was wrong, that British bobbies routinely "kept an eye" on events and were friendly.

This was met with scepticism by the Slovaks, so festival organisers arranged for an informal meeting with the police.

Interpreter Simona Sherif asked many questions of the police and invited them into the show marquee in Billingham's John Whitehead Park, to meet other dancers and singers.

The police were happy to allow the foreign visitors to try on their helmets and demonstrated how their handcuffs worked.

When one artist asked why the officers' helmets were unusually shaped, one of the officers jokingly told them it was for keeping fish and chips warm on the beat in cold weather when the officers were called out on an urgent job.

A side benefit of having hot food stored in the helmet was that they also kept their heads really warm.

Keith Proud, festival spokesman, said: "When some of the overseas performers spotted two police cars and a group of police officers from Billingham station outside the marquee perimeter fence, they asked me if anything was the matter.

"I explained it was normal for the British bobby to keep an eye on public events and they were in fact, very friendly and approachable.

"They were eventually won over and then believed the tale of the fish and chips.