ANIMAL lovers donned fancy dress and brought their four-legged friends for a walk in the park to raise money for a dog rehoming centre.

More than 300 people and dogs raised £7,000 by taking part in the first Dogs Trust Darlington Waggy Walk in Coatham Park, near Long Newton, on Sunday.

Organisers say the event was so successful, they want it to become an annual fixture.

Sarah Shreeve, the charity’s supporter relations officer, said: "We were blown away by the level of support for our first ever Darlington Waggy Walk.

“We had an idea of attendance before hand from online registrations, but so many more people signed up on the day. It was also great to see all those people without canine companions who either brought a soft toy dog or had their face painted to resemble a hairy hound.

“Lots of people created online sponsorship pages, and this combined with cash sponsorship and donations means the Darlington walk has raised an estimated £7,000 for our canine friends. This will really make a difference to the local Dogs Trust Rehoming Centre in Sadberge, County Durham.”

Anyone who would like to find out more can check waggywalks.org.uk for updates.