STOCKTON town centre came to a standstill today (Friday, March 15) when more than 300 people tried to put a smile of people’s faces.

They were taking part in a flashmob Smile event as part of the Comic Relief celebrations.

The event kicked-off when a busker started playing Charlie Chaplin’s song Smile before others started to join in by singing the song.

Among the performers taking part in the sing-a-long were local group Cattle and Cane, Arc’s Silver Linings, Stockton Riverside College and Stockton Town Choir.

Sarah Burrow, who took part in the event as part of the town choir, said: “It was really good – it brought the town centre to a standstill when we all started singing. It was organised by Mike McGrother from the Wildcats of Kilkenny who was given artistic licence to come up with whatever he wanted.

“People started gathering in the town centre when they realised what was starting to happen and hundreds of people watched it in the end.”