THE town centre in Chippenham was overrun by a host of famous faces, good and evil, from across the galaxy on Saturday.

Actors playing Batman, Iron Man, the Daleks, and Storm Troopers, filled the Neeld Community and Arts Centre and the Emery Gate to celebrate the second Chippenham Sci-Fi Festival with members of the public.

Chippenham MP Michelle Donelan opened the event, which takes an entire year to organise, before volunteering at the ticket desk.

The event, designed to bring people into the town centre and showcase Chippenham, attracted 1800 to  the main exhibitions in Neeld Hall - an increase of nearly 400 people on last year.

Liam Neeson's Star Wars stuntman Andrew Lawden ran the Jedi Fight Academy, which sold out well ahead of the event itself.

Famous faces including Star Wars and Game of Thrones Actor Julian Glover MBE and Red Dwarf comedian Hattie Hayridge both attended the festival to meet and greet fans.

Co-organiser Anthony Milner said: “It was a great event on Saturday, we got more people through the door than we had last year.

“The event was amazing, it was packed and we have had a massive amount of feedback on Facebook also saying what a good event it was.

“The children loved it because they think they are meeting their TV heroes.

“The fight academy was brilliant, the children loved it, and it was just such a fun family event.”

The Emery Gate Shopping Centre also got involved with the event by erecting a 10ft Ghost Busters Marshmallow Man in the middle of their centre.

Phil Maclean, retail marketing manager, said: “We had over 2,500 additional visitors on the day, and considering the weather was so awful is a great achievement.

“We have not seen the trader figures yet but many of the retailers reported a very busy day.”

Proceeds from the event will be donated to three charities; the Royal British Legion, Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital and Wiltshire Mind.

Organisers have said they are optimistic of hosting the popular festival again next year.