FIRE-EATERS, stilt-walkers, a magician and a human robot entertained hundreds of revellers at a VIP evening at a new nightclub in Chester-le-Street.

Welcome staff passed around strawberries, canaps and champagne cocktails to police, councillors and business people at Studio on Thursday.

The plush £2.2m Vimac Leisure bar and nightclub has created 50 jobs in the town. The new venue has two self-contained floors, each with a bar, dance area, plasma screens and seating booths.

Altered lighting effects and differing music policy clearly define each level, highlighted by DJs playing live on both floors.

Ross Gill, assistant manager at the Studio, said: "There's been a real buzz around town for weeks about our new venue and the excitement's got even greater since we opened.

"We were packed out to capacity over our opening night last weekend and expect to be attracting visitors from right across the region."

The new venue, which is the first premises with a late licence to open in the town in over 20 years, is the company's first purpose-built venue and is the fifth Studio club in the company's growing national chain. It joins successful venues in Durham, Middlesbrough, Glasgow, Hexham, Rotherham, Whitby and north Yorkshire in the Vimac Leisure portfolio.

Paul Mackings, Vimac Leisure managing director, said: "Our research revealed the demand for a high quality, upmarket venue in this area and we are extremely confident that this new, upmarket and stylish Chester-le-Street location will be a great success."