EXCITED crowds filled the streets of Easter Compton for the village’s annual carnival.

Performances from local groups including the Yate-based King Edmund Acrogymnastics Club and The Way Gym Martial Arts Display, based in neighbouring Pilning.

The carnival’s main event, the parade, was led this year by carnival queen Josephine Anne Lucker, 8, with the help of carnival princesses Eva Benn, 6, Star Linton, 10, Talitha Ryall, 7, and Georgina Roylance Smith, 9.

Fairground rides, including a ferris wheel and a teacups ride, drew in hundreds of people from across the region to the village.

Chris Benn, co-chairman of the carnival, said that this year’s event had been a big success despite the poor weather.

He said: “It went really well and thankfully the bad weather didn’t put people off and we had a good turnout.

“We did have to make a significant investment in gazebos to make sure all the stalls good run as usual put we were very pleased with the number of people who turned up.”

A scarecrow trail was also held in the village for the week, coinciding with the carnival, offering the chance for people to try and seek out 17 comic book heroes and villains which were hidden around the village.

About £3,000 raised during the carnival and from the scarecrow trail will all be given to the Easter Compton Village Hall to help cover its running costs.

Chris Benn added that the money raised would help maintain the facility which benefits the rest of the village.

He said that the carnival committee may allow themselves a week off but that the ball was already rolling for next year’s event.