BUSTLING market stalls, carol singers and fairground rides helped to draw in a record crowd for the Bewdley Christmas Lights Festival on Saturday.

Around 5,000 people braved the cold weather to stroll around the charity, craft and food markets and take in the festive entertainment in Load Street - which was closed to traffic for seven hours - and Severnside South.

St George's Hall played host to a food market selling a variety of tempting treats and there were fairground rides for young and old as well as games such as hook-a-duck.

A pig roast organised by Bewdley Rotary Club was so popular it raised £600 to support its local charity work, said president Alan Wood.

Visitors were also able to get in the Christmas spirit with performances from singers including Kidderminster Valentines.

Father Christmas followed a procession from Bridge House to the Guildhall, which involved local schoolchildren, a unicyclist, miniature steam engines and guide dogs pulling sleighs before the town was lit up at 5.30pm.

Bewdley Carnival princesses, Penelope Gunn and Charlotte Halford, helped switch on the lights with town mayor, Liz Davies, who also judged the Young Enterprise competition.

Eight schools competed in the contest and the winning team was from Stourport High School.

The team of eight pupils sold aromatherapy products in the craft market and won the prize for best overall presentation of a stall.

Jeremy Ferguson, who chairs the Friends of Bewdley Christmas lights committee, said the festival had been a great success adding: "The highlight for me is that we had so many people. Four years ago we switched the lights on and we had 150 people. In four years we have got to this. It was amazing to stand and watch - it was just wall-to-wall people in Load Street."

Mrs Davies said: "It has been 12 months' hard work and it starts again in January. It has been really worthwhile. I think Bewdley has a great success on its hands.

"People really seem to have enjoyed themselves. The fact that people willingly gave their time to make it a good day is fantastic. The road closure made it a great success and brought the people in."

l Fair operators, Jennings Brothers, who provided fairground rides on the day, made a donation of £250 to the mayor's charity.