CROWDS flocked to Pershore on Saturday for the annual River Festival.

The event, held on the banks of the Avon in Pershore, in King George’s Field, saw people and boats donning swashbuckle style in line with the theme 'pirates'.

Organised by the Pershore Riverside Youth Centre, this was the fourth River Festival of recent years.

The festivities offered children and adults the chance to enjoy the river in a safe and secure environment, while helping to raise funds for the Riverside Youth Centre.

Attractions included several decorated boats, demonstrations by the South Worcestershire Lifesaving Club, boat trips provided by Avon Navigation Trust, paddleboards and a wheelie boat giving trips to people in wheelchairs and buggies.

Onshore was a funfair, circus skills training, children’s entertainments, pony rides, archery, zorbing, and a climbing wall as well as charity and commercial stalls.

One of the stalls was Pershore Town Plan, which concentrating on the views of people under 25.

Trustee chairman Liz Tucker said: "The festival is an essential fundraising venture for the centre. We’re extremely grateful for all the support we get from the town and surrounding area and are always happy to tell people about what we do."

The centre, which provides vital support to teenagers and young people, helping them develop their talents, is run entirely by a board of trustees, who have to raise all the funds required to stay open.