A NORTH-EAST town has celebrated its first same-sex marriage.

Wendy Stobbart, 21, and Lyndsay Dixon, 22, both from Stockton, were reportedly married at Stockton Borough Council’s register office, Nightingale House, last week.

Gay people across the country have taken advantage of a change in the law, which came into force on March 29, allowing them to get married.

In a statement issued through Stockton council, Wendy Stobbart said: “We wanted to make our relationship official because we know we are right for each other – we are soul mates. When we rang the Council’s registration services we were really pleasantly surprised to learn that we could actually get married rather than just have a civil partnership. We didn’t know this and are delighted that we were able to have a marriage ceremony.”

Coun David Coleman, Stockton Council’s Cabinet Member for Access and Communities, said: “Staff at the Register Office were proud to help Wendy and Lyndsay create a special day they will remember for the rest of their lives.”

Despite the change to the law, couples already in a civil partnership cannot currently convert the civil partnership to a marriage.

This would require additional legislation for which further Government announcements are anticipated later in 2014.