PEOPLE in Hartlepool celebrated the latest stage in the regeneration of a park with a sparkling afternoon of music.

A variety of bands performed in Ward Jackson Park on Sunday to mark the restoration of the bandstand.

Hartlepool Concert Band, Hartlepool Youth Choir, Body Talk and Strangers on a Stage were among the performers at the event, organised by the Friends of Ward Jackson Park, and supported by Hartlepool Borough Council.

The bandstand was built in 1902 and presented to the town by Sir William Gray. One of only three remaining bandstands of its type in the country, it has been restored at a cost of £100,000.

The restoration is part of a £2m programme, largely funded through the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Government-backed Hartlepool Urban Greening Programme.

Nick Davy, project development officer for the borough council, said: "The bandstand has been taken apart. Anything that was ageing has been restored and anything broken has been replaced.

"Some refurbishment was done in fibreglass in the 1970s - this has been replaced with cast iron, in keeping with the bandstand's original construction. The old felt roof has been replaced with zinc, which was the material originally used.

"We are delighted with the success of the project. Not only does the park look better, already we are seeing an upturn in the number of people using it. This project really is returning the park to the heart of the community."

Peter Gowland, secretary of the Friends of Ward Jackson Park, said the group hoped to organise an even bigger and better musical event.