A COUPLE will tomorrow (Saturday, March 21) become the first pair to get hitched at Stanley Civic Hall in about a decade.

Stanley Town Councillor Christina Malin is getting married to Martin McKee at the former Lamplight Arts Centre at the top of Front Street.

The building faced closure until it was taken over by the council two years ago and there are now hopes more people will use it for wedding, functions and celebrations.

Cllr Malin, who represents South Moor, where she lives, said: “It's amazing to be getting married in the Civic Hall.

“It's a building that I've been visiting and using ever since I can remember and it's a lovely venue.”

Cllr Malin, 22, and Mr McKee, 28, from Inverness, who now both work in the same call centre in Gateshead, met online about ten months ago.

He was the first person she had contacted through a dating website and the pair hit it off straight away.

She said: “We talked constantly and met a week or two later as we got on so well.

“I just couldn't believe that even though I was only on the site a matter if hours, I still managed to find the man I am marrying.”