One weekend every year, a small Herts village becomes a mecca for tourists when it holds its annual scarecrow festival, and this year was no exception.

There were more than 120 entries for the 14th Flamstead Scarecrow Festival, ranging from cricket-playing Daleks to cuddly Minions.

The winner was Trowley Heights - Dragon in Flight, created by residents Pam and Hartley Dean, which received 1,926 votes from visitors to the event.

To date the festival has raised more than £100,000 which is shared between the two organising charities the Herts Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre and the Friends of St Leonard’s.

The event is organised by a special festival committee chaired by Paul McMahon, which uses money raised from voting forms and cream teas to cover the overheads associated with running the festival.

MS Centre fundraiser Patricia Saunders said: “These overheads are not insignificant and we typically pay out around £3,000 on entertainment, printing, refuse disposal, signage, tour bus fuel, village hall hire etc.

“We are grateful to those organisations who help support some of these costs, however we would welcome further sponsorships in 2016, to enable as much of the fundraising as possible to go directly to the people who need it.”