A SHOPPING centre came to life as international visitors entertained people with their dancing.
A group of eight teenage girls from Germany, who are in Peterlee as part of a twinning visit, wowed crowds at Castle Dene Shopping Centre.
The girls took to the market square in the centre, where they performed international dancing for an-hour-and-a-half to around 200 delighted shoppers.
A group of 42 visitors from Nordenham, in Germany, descended on the town and the guests have been kindly put up by Peterlee families.
The visit marks the 30th anniversary of Peterlee being twinned with Nordenham and over the years many exchange visits have taken place.
Castle Dene shopping centre manager Mike Weston said: “We had a couple of hundred people watching the girls.
“There was a lot of clapping and cheering.
“We also had a red double decker bus which was in the centre as part of a stop-smoking initiative so it was nice to have the contrast of the British image and the German dancers.
“It was great to have the young dancers in the town.
“Their dancing really brightened up the day.”
Since the start of the twinning partnership, many lasting friendships have been formed, with a third generation of some families visiting each others’ homes.
The visitors were in Peterlee for a week-long stay and Peterlee Town Council planned a trip to the Edinburgh Tattoo, Durham, Newcastle, Scarborough and Richmond for their guests.
They were due to have a farewell party yesterday before returning to Germany.