A GLITTERING ball staged to raise money for a North-East charity has been hailed a resounding success.

About £70,000 is likely to have been raised at the Rainbow Trust's annual ball, in Newcastle, where 1980s band Go West entertained 300 guests.

The event, which had a white tie and diamonds theme, played host to a string of celebrities, including Sir Bobby Robson - a long-standing patron of the trust - Paul Gascoigne, the cast from Byker Grove and the Falcon's rugby team.

The ball is a major event, both for the Durham charity and the region's fundraising calendar.

A team of dedicated local volunteers spends six months preparing for the event, which raises more than 30 per cent of the charity's local income.

Trust spokesman Trudy Millar said: "Everyone was dancing until the early hours. It was a massive success and we are expecting to have raised £70,000 through the event."

Over the lifetime of the event, the ball has raised £415,000, enabling Rainbow Trust Children's Charity to support hundreds of sick children and their families across the region - both through practical and emotional support.

Rainbow Trust provides a vital service to families, who have a child who has been diagnosed with a life threatening or terminal illness.

From diagnosis, through bereavement and beyond Rainbow offers practical and emotional support and care both in the families' own home and in two respite houses.