TATTOO enthusiasts gathered for the biggest event of its kind to be held in the region.
The seventh Peterlee Tattoo Arts Festival was held at the town's leisure centre yesterday, bringing together more than 40 artists to exhibit their work.
The event also saw dozens of awards handed out in celebration of the medium and stalls and entertainment laid on for the 1,000 festival-goers.
Artwork in charcoal was also created and then auctioned off in aid of a breast cancer charity, the Great North Air Ambulance and Macmillan Cancer Support.
The event was run by Eddie and Brenda Hardiman and their daughter Trudy Hardy, who run Eddie's Tattoo Studio, in Third Street, Horden, with the help of friends and other relations.
Trudy said: "People came from as far afield as Devon and Aberdeen and there were three overseas artists."
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