EASTER is looking “sew” colourful in a North-East village thanks to the efforts of a dedicated bunch of yarn bombers.

The people of Hurworth-on-Tees woke up on Good Friday to find the Village Hall festooned with knitted figures on the theme of "Spring, Easter and coming out of lockdown".

The display – featuring lambs, chicks, bunnies, eggs, birds, bees, teddies, and even Bill and Ben – was the idea of Hurworth resident Tracie Jacobs, with the help of Liv Baker.

They used the “Heart of Hurworth” Facebook site before Christmas to appeal for volunteers to form “a secret club” and the result is that a band of a dozen knitters have been hard at work, without anyone else knowing, since the end of last year.

Tracie said today: “We are so lucky to have an amazing bunch of talented ladies who all wanted to play their part, and we hope the end result makes people smile. The oldest knitter is 92 and the youngest is in her forties, and they’ve all been fantastic.”

The Heart of Hurworth group has also been raising money through raffles and cake sales to pay for around 100 goodie bags, which will be given out on Easter Sunday to local children who have registered for an Easter trail organised by Liv.

The people of Hurworth have really risen to the challenge during the past year, with a host of events and fundraising activities, designed to raise spirits.

For example, more than 2,000 knitted hearts have been donated to Darlington Memorial Hospital. The idea is that patients keep a heart, and their families keep another, to symbolise a bond between them.

Tracie added: “Once we’ve had a bit of a rest, we’ll start focusing on some kind of Christmas project.”