A BISHOP turned bartender to pull pints in his own back garden.

The Bishop of Durham, the Right Reverend Tom Wright, launched a three-day beer festival by pulling the first pint.

Appropriately, he chose Auckland Ale from over 40 beers on tap at his official residence, Auckland Castle, in Bishop Auckland, County Durham.

Bishop Auckland and Spennymoor Round Table are hosting the event and hope to raise £8,000 for charities including the Great North Air Ambulance.

About 450 gallons of real ale, including many brewed in the region, are expected to flow from noon until midnight until the festival finishes tomorrow.

Names like Darwin Killer Bee and Orkney Skullsplitter line up with Weardale Blonde and Mordue Radgie Gadgie and Darwin's Evolution Ale, brewed in Sunderland, which won Beer of the Festival yesterday.

Beer is even in the food. Hundreds of venison and stout and cider and pork sausages made by butcher James Munro have been cooked in the castle's kitchen.

In the castle's Throne Room rock band The Force play tonight and Frankie's Caf follow tomorrow.

Simon Gillespie, from the Round Table, said: "We are trying to breathe new life into the Round Table and the festival is a great way to let people know we exist. We have the perfect venue here and some of the very best beer in the country."