Sisters make a splash to win Bewdley duck race

Thousands of spectators gathered to watch as more than 800 plastic ducks took to the water in an annual fundraising race.

More than 800 people entered Bewdley's traditional duck race on New Year's Day – many creating their own birds from wood, plastic and feathers.

People started gathering along Bewdley Bridge and Severnside South for the event, which is staged by the Kidderminster and District Lions Club every year.

The race started at the bridge, in Load Street, with competitors throwing their ducks into the river at the sound of a starting gun.

Cash raised from the event, expected to be more than £2,000 this year, will be donated to good causes. First past the line was duck 110 belonging to sisters Hannah and Eleanor Wilkes, of Hope Street, Wordsley.

Eight-year-old Hannah and six-year-old Eleanor were presented with the coveted golden trophy for their victory by Bewdley Mayor Jan Adams.

Another winner on the day was five-year-old Tilly Harrison, of Bewdley, who received the award for best-dressed duck. The youngster, of St Anne's School, in Bewdley, won a £10 prize for her design, which she created with help from her father Neil.