A CAMPAIGN to beat the winter blues came to the North-East yesterday.

People donned blue, full-length body stockings in Durham city centre to help banish the stigma associated with mental illnesses such as depression.

It was part of Time to Change, a nationwide campaign led by mental health charities Mind and Rethink and funded by £16m from the Big Lottery Fund and £4m from Comic Relief.

Time to Change director Sue Baker said: “January is typically a month when people can suffer from stress and depression.

“It is important for people to recognise the signs of mental illness, be supportive of people around them who may be suffering and know how to respond in a non-judgemental way.

“Face to face contact with someone who has experienced a mental health problem, who can talk openly about it, is the key to transforming our understanding and attitudes.”

Go to time-to-change.org.uk