MORE than 40 vintage and classic cars purred their way into Bishop Auckland on Sunday.

The roar of the engines and gleam of the perfectly polished paintwork on a variety of vehicles impressed the steady stream of visitors who attended The Northern Bygones Society event.

The club was founded in 2011 and holds events throughout the summer across the region.

Its first event in Bishop Auckland was held last April, as part of then Town Mayor Adam Zair's charity campaign in aid of the Great North Air Ambulance.

They were invited back by the Bishop Auckland Town Team that June and returned for a third time, again with Cllr Zair and his father Sam's support, at the weekend – this time collecting funds for The Butterwick Hospice.

Vehicles on display included a blue 1976 Austin Allegro, bought on ebay last summer by Paul Jackson, of Newton Aycliffe, who founded the club, but claimed by his daughter Catherine, 23.

Mr Jackson said: "I was on holiday last August, saw it on ebay so went to Penzance on the train and drove it back. Like Catherine said, you can only drive one car so it is her's now.

"This is a nice event, the people are nice and visitors and exhibitors come and go throughout the day so there is a nice flow of interested people.

"It is nice to be able to hold something like this and support a charity at the same time. I also get a buzz because I'm heavily dyslexic, I cannot fill in forms but can pull this off with the help of my wife and daughter."

The club, which has around 60 members, will hold a show at Darlington Railway Museum on Sunday, May 19. Last year's event there had 230 exhibitors.