River hosts dragon boat contest

Dragon boating was developed in Hong Kong in the1970s

Teams from as far away as the Ukraine are in Teesside to take part in the European Dragon Boat Championships.

The event coincides with the launch of the Year of the Tees, a celebration promoting the River Tees.

The sport dates back thousands of years and involves crews with a drummer racing in 40ft-long boats.

Competitors from Sweden, Ukraine and Poland are among those taking part in the races over a distance of up to 2,000 metres.

The modern version of dragon boating was developed in Hong Kong in the1970s and was first established in the UK in 1987.

Today there are said to be around 30,000 participants in the UK, with 50 million worldwide.