THE mayor of Stockton has hailed a “strong summer” of special events in the district designed to bring visitors into the area.

This year the British Cycling National Road Championships came to the town and there was a special event to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday.

There was also the annual Stockton International Riverside Festival, the region’s biggest outdoor arts festival, which drew big crowds.

Mayor of Stockton Ken Dixon, said: “I’m very proud of our borough’s strong reputation for staging high quality events and what made this year’s programme even more special was the fantastic involvement of our communities.

“It has been a great summer packed full of memorable experiences and it was brilliant to see our people of all ages and backgrounds come together and be a part of it.

“I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who played a role whether it be the hundreds of volunteers, community groups and school children who helped us showcasethe borough of Stockton on a worldwide stage by decorating the route of the British Cycling National Road Championships to everyone involved in this year’s vibrant Community Carnival to the adventurous River Rat Race participants.” Photographs of the events can be found at flickr.com/photos/stocktoncouncil