UNUSUAL characters were popping up in unexpected places as a village held its second annual Scarecrow Festival.

The two-day event at Tanfield Village, near Stanley, County Durham, saw more than 60 creations dotted about the village and neighbouring Sleepy Valley.

A Minion from the children’s film Despicable Me, Corporal Jones from Dad’s Army, violinist Nigel Kennedy and Spiderman were among the scarecrows made for the two-day event.

Cllr Joyce Charlton, who represents the village on Durham County Council and Stanley Town Council, said: “It has been absolutely fantastic.

“The only disappointing thing was that malicious damage was done to some of them last night.

“Some mindless idiots decided it would be fun to interfere with some of the scarecrows.

“They haven’t totally destroyed them. We have been able to put them back together again but it was just absolutely mindless”

The event also featured a sell-out social night, a photography competition, craft fair, a Northumbrian piper, a Songs of Praise service, photography exhibition featuring old pictures of the area and a food tent.

A park-and-ride service ran between the village and the former Ever Ready factory on the Tanfield Lea Industrial Estate to ease congestion and parking problems in the village.