SCORES of people braved short bursts of heavy rain to enjoy a picnic in a Basingstoke park.

The Picnic in the Park event, now in its second year, took place at Stratton Park, Kemsphott.

The free event was organised by the Friends of Stratton Park group to get more people to use the green space, which is a short walk from residential areas such as The Berg Estate and Buckskin.

Among the attractions was a performance by a dance group from Fort Hill Community School, in Kenilworth Road, Winklebury, and a chance to score a penalty against Stokie the Dragon, Basingstoke Town FC’s mascot.

There were also stalls and community groups including Inspero, the South Ham charity that supports young people and families in disadvantaged areas.

A couple of heavy downpours were not enough to put people off from setting out their picnic blankets and eating their lunch.

Vicky Hurst, one of the organisers, said: “It’s been absolutely fantastic and we’ve had a really good turnout with positive feedback.

“We are trying to encourage people to use the park and look after it. This is the second one we have done but we are trying to make it an annual event.”