A DEBUT ‘Bark in the Park’ event in Middleton Tyas raised £1,200 to aid the refurbishment of its children’s play area.

There were dogs of all ages and abilities taking part in more than 11 fun classes, along with a dog and child agility classes.

No one went home empty-handed as every pooch received its own Bark in the Park bandana and Brompton-On-Swale based Milbry Hill donated dog food and goodie bags for all the classes.

Richmondshire MP Rishi Sunak and his family were on hand to award some of the prizes and Mr Sunak was given the tough task of judging the Soft Toy Class - the trickiest decision of the day given the emotional attachment of the young owners to their toys.

Mr Sunak rose diplomatically to the occasion by persuading the organisers to increase the number of prizes, including his own donation of a House of Commons teddy bear, and ensuring that there were sweets and stickers for all.

Other attractions included stalls, a barbecue, a bar, bouncy castle and face painting..

Leanne Harknett, of the organisers, said: “We are just so grateful to all the people who volunteered to help and to our sponsors whose support was invaluable and has given us the confidence to go ahead and start planning for next year.”