HUNDREDS of volunteers are being recruited to ensure the UK’s biggest light festival runs smoothly.

Lumiere returns to Durham in November and organisers hope to recruit an army of festival-makers to help the estimated 200,000 visitors enjoy the spectacle.

Volunteers must be able to work at least two shifts during the four-day festival, welcoming visitors, helping them find their way around and other tasks such as delivering items to festival staff.

Around 170 people volunteered when Lumiere was last staged in 2015 and organisers hope as many come forward when the event returns to the city for the fifth time.

Kate Harvey, from producers Artichoke, said: “Lumiere belongs to Durham and local volunteer festival makers are key to its success.

“Whether you’re welcoming visitors to Durham, offering advice on how to get the most from the festival or offering practical help to the Lumiere team, your contribution will be invaluable and you’ll get the chance to experience the festival up close and find out more about the art and the artists involved.”

Amanda Dunnington, from Durham City, has been a volunteer since Lumiere was first held in 2009.

She said: “Everything was just incredible.

“I’ve never seen anything quite like it, I’ve never seen so many people all together enjoying themselves and so interested in the city.”

Fellow festival maker Helen Winterbone from Ferryhill, added: “It’s great being part of something big and local to the area.

“The atmosphere is amazing and it really gives you a feelgood factor.”

Volunteers must be aged at least 18 and able to work two shifts of between four and seven-and-a-half hours, as well as attending meetings leading up to the event.

For further details, visit durham.gov.uk/festivalmaker