HUNDREDS of people reached out to their fellow men at the weekend at a Celebration of Culture day designed to break down ethnic barriers.

An eclectic mix of foods, music, fashions and entertainment adorned Preston Park in Stockton on Saturday as part of Refugee Week.

Groups and organisations from the region were on hand to demonstrate skills in preparing food, singing and dancing to celebrate the many cultures in the Tees Valley.

Among the entertainment was dancing from Filipino and Kurdish communities, a wide variety of exotic food from local restaurants and music from a gospel choir and the lively beats of the African drums.

The event was planned with the help of Neighbourhood Management (NM) and Stockton Council's asylum support team.

NM community cohesion officer, Satnam Singh, said: "To see so many people from local communities in Stockton and further afield enjoying themselves and joining in with other cultures is wonderful."

Chris Edmond, asylum support manager for the council, said: "Refugee Week celebrates the enormous contribution of refugees to the UK and promotes understanding about the reasons why people seek sanctuary."