BARGAIN hunters in their hundreds flocked to one of the biggest car boot sales in the area at the annual Bradford on Avon Lions Club Family Fun Day.

The event on Monday was held at Victory Field and Culver Close recreation field and is traditionally one of the club’s biggest fundraisers.

The boot sale has grown massively over the past 23 years and now fills the field with more than 150 stall holders and 5,000 visitors.

Lions Club member Mike Evans said: “It started out as just a small event to complement the raft race that the Lions once ran before they organised this fun day. It has just grown and grown and is recognised as a rather upmarket boot sale.”

Among the stallholders was retired butcher John Pursey who makes items throughout the year to sell. This year, he constructed bird boxes from scraps of wood.

He said: “It’s mostly a hobby of mine and I have researched the subject to make sure the boxes are constructed with the correct openings for different species.”

In the adjacent Culver Close field, fellow Lion Brian Hersee ran the Family Fun Day with stalls, entertainment, sports and fairground attractions.

Brian said: “Most years there is a footfall of around 5,000 to 6,000 and we raise around £3,500 for our Charitable Trust Fund after expenses.

“This year we have been very fortunate to have received sponsorship towards our expenses from a local business AB Dynamics. Therefore, we are

hoping to make a profit of around £5,000. The Charitable Trust Fund is spent on worthwhile causes both locally, nationally and internationally.”

Missing this year was the Classic Car Show but it was replaced with another show-stopper - MK Garrison, a group of local sci-fi enthusiasts, organised a Hans Solo Star Wars display.