A CASCADE of colour, dance and music poured through the centre of a town at the weekend to mark the climax of the country's largest street theatre festival.

The carnival was staged by community groups taking over Teesside streets from professionals who have entertained thousands during the week-long Stockton International Riverside Festival.

Last night's grand finale thrilled a crowd which lined the edge of the Tees to marvel at the Spanish-inspired God and Beasts dramatisation of bull-fighting, illustrated with fireworks, actors and a live band.

Youth clubs and amateur entertainment groups, among many other community organisations, had been practising their dancing, singing and costume skills for weeks in preparation for Saturday's taste of Brazilian carnival atmosphere.

Some 200 youngsters showed off their creative fancy dress, banging drums accompanied by various bands, to the enjoyment of hundreds of shoppers who gathered along the half-mile route.

The bright costumes were inspired by the theme of various shapes. Children in wheelchairs made their mark dressed as pyramids while other youngsters used a jungle/animal theme and sported giant wings or made giant strides on stilts.

Leading the kaleidoscope of colour was the group Bravura, whose director, Barbara Agar, said: "So much work has gone into the carnival to create a wonderful feast of colour and an amazing atmosphere. It's one of Stockton's special occasions. People also joined in the dancing in the streets.''

VIP appearances were made by giant versions of the cult Womble characters Great Uncle Bulgaria and Tobermory, with bands such as Boogie Voodoo, Drum Din, Barracudas, New Orleans Preservation Parade Band, Knock Backs, Drum Drummer and Cornhaltas Ceoltoiri Eirean.

Stockton's cobbled Green Dragon Yard played host to a series of bands as audiences basked in the sun that blessed what has been claimed to be a highly successful festival.

Organisers were still tallying total visitor numbers last night, but said that the event had been more successful than ever, with more than 300,000 festival-goers thought to have enjoyed the week's festivities.