A SAMBA beat echoed around a North-East coastal town as circus entertainers mingled with shoppers.

Entertainment was laid on at Redcar, on Saturday, to celebrate the opening of the £26m Regent Walk shopping centre.

Twenty children from Wilton Primary School provided a Brazilian theme for shoppers, while a TFM Radio roadshow made a live broadcast.

There was also balloons, Punch and Judy shows and a variety of circus acts, including stilt walkers, jugglers, a unicyclist and a walkabout magician.

The shopping centre is the result of a partnership between Scarborough Development Group (SDG), formerly Teesland Group, in partnership with Sir Robert McAlpine, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council and the regional development agency One NorthEast.