Newcastle crowds enjoy New Year's Eve parade

Thousands of people have crowded into Newcastle city centre to mark the end of 2013 with the New Year's Eve Winter Carnival.

Performers, including musicians, dressed in colourful costumes and entertained the crowds who lined the city centre parade route from Monument to the Civic Centre.

The festival combined Norse myths and legends and Viking folklore as well as North East traditions and displays included a "world serpent" accompanied by flying fish.

Hundreds of people took the opportunity to join the performers on the parade as torchbearers and puppeteers.

A series of masterclasses were held in the run up to the carnival to give local artists the opportunity to learn skills in design, costume, choreography, puppetry and lighting.

The climax of the parade was a firework display which lit up the sky over the Civic Centre and could be seen across the city.