A staggering £10,000 has been raised for charity at the 50th Harpenden Carnival.

Organised by Harpenden Round Table and the town council, the free event saw more than 7,000 people bring Harpenden together for a special community celebration.

“We were amazed by how generous the people of Harpenden were,” said carnival chair Joe Avison, “and we hope that after costs we will be able to donate over £10,000 to charities and local groups.”

One of the biggest highlights of the day was the return of the procession through the centre of town, which included floats, a marching steel drum band and New Orleans-style feather dancers.

Joe added: “We could not have put on the carnival without the support of lots of other local groups, and I would like to say a huge thank you to them and all of the people of Harpenden for helping to make the 50th Carnival one of the most memorable days in the town’s history.”