A village festival scrapped at the turn of the millennium has returned. 

The Walthamstow Village Festival was held on Saturday for the first time since 2000 after The Asian Centre in Orford Road, Walthamstow, and a residents association sought funding. 

A music stage set up in Vestry playground, at the junction with East Avenue, featured a host of acts. 

Food, arts and crafts and community stalls were set up all along Orford Road, Beulah Road and Eden Road, with road closures in place until 7pm. 

The free community event, which cost £22,000 to put on, was supported by Waltham Forest council and local businesses. 

Abed Mallam, 29, an administrator at The Asian Centre, said it was the right time to bring back the festival.  

He said: "With the support of the Walthamstow Village Residents' Association, we decided it was a good idea to start it again and to bring the whole community together to raise the profile of local artists, businesses, charities and the village itself.

"The Centre was set up in 2005 for Asian people but we work closely with everyone and our position in the heart of the village helped us to bring everyone together."