MUSIC fans from north Durham have enjoyed festival of live bands over the Bank Holiday Weekend.

Stanley Music Festival returned to Oakies Park for the third time on Sunday combining family fun and live acts all day.

Eighties pop star Owen Paul, famous for his hit My Favourite Waste of Time, took to stage in the evening and invited festival goer Paul Jaffa Jefferson to join him.

The pair sang the Simple Minds hits (Don’t You) Forget About Me and Alive and Kicking.

Mr Jefferon, 41, who is a joiner, from Stanley, said: “It was great crack and everyone there had a really good day. The atmosphere was fantastic.”

Other acts included Letz Zep, one of the world’s premier Led Zeppelin tributes, the Antarctic Monkeys and North-East pop punksters The Me Me’s.

The event stems from Stanley Blues Festival, which ended in 2007 after 15 years over funding problems.

More than 1,800 people attended the festival on Sunday, but organisers hope it will continue in future years and grow.

A spokesman for Stanley Events, which organised the festival, said: “There was a really good atmosphere and the bands went down really well. It was a really good event and we have had some really good feedback.

“All in all everyone who came along had a really good event.”