Hundreds of people lined the river Avon yesterday to cheer on more than 460 ducks in the annual Bradford on Avon duck race.

Families eagerly awaited the start of the race at noon where events organiser Arlene Caddow and several volunteers chucked 468 ducks off Town Bridge and watched them float downstream to the Riverside Bridge.

Mrs Caddow said: “It was fantastic day with beautiful weather and loads of people turning out to watch the race.

“It was my first year as organiser for the Bradford on Avon Chamber of Commerce who organise the event but I know that it sold out like it has done in previous years.

“We even had people giving us donations even when we ran out of ducks.”

Children and parents raced to the Riverside Bridge to see who had the winning duck which was picked out of the river by adult scouts and leaders who were manning the race in canoes from Colerne First Sea Scouts.

Winner Bernard Cooper said: “.......”

Despite the low water level slowing down the race, Mr Cooper’s duck, number 442, came in in 12 minutes and 24 seconds.

His duck was closely followed by Sarah Bird’s, who runs the Indulgence underwear store in the town and her daughter Georgia’s, both ducks came in seconds later.

The event raises money for a local charity each year and this year the chamber of commerce decided to give the money raised to the Wiltshire Air Ambulance. More than £490 will go to the life saving charity.

Mrs Caddow said: “The event has huge support each year and doesn’t even need to be advertised, people come from all over to take part in the event because it has become that well known.

“The chamber would like to thank Colerne sea scouts and all of the other volunteers who helped out on the day.”