PERFORMERS have taken to the streets of the North-East as part of an annual festival of entertainment.

The centres of Durham City and Bishop Auckland have been hosting the Durham Streets Summer Festival on Saturday and Sunday, with the action moving to Barnard Castle on Bank Holiday Monday (August 25).

The event, organised by Durham County Council, includes a range of international, award-winning street act entertaining.

This year’s performers included street clown Pedro, family favourite Maynard Flip Flap and Fatt Matt, who won the Durham Streets People’s Choice Award in 2012 as well as Streets newcomer The Space Cowboy.

Holder of 29 Guinness World Records, including the most blow torches extinguished on the tongue, the Space Cowboy is also the only person to have won the Street Performance World Championships more than once.

The Space Cowboy took a break from an 11-week run in London to bring his death-defying stunts to Durham.

He said: “Variety is the spice of life so I thought it would be nice to take a break from the show to take part in a street festival and I have very much been looking forward to visiting Durham.

“I’ve been doing some sword-swallowing, chainsaw juggling and I have a three-metre high unicycle which I’ve been riding while juggling blindfold.

“It’s dangerous, exciting and a lot of fun.”

Streets returns to Barnard Castle at noon on Monday (August 25) and audiences are encouraged to grab a picnic and enjoy the entertainment at Scar Top - outside the castle entrance - where there will be juggling, unicycling, acrobatics, banter, wit and even fire as well as circus skills school.

For more information, visit www.durhamstreetsof.co.uk