A NOW-annual Scarecrow Festival will be returning for a fifth year, bigger and better than before.

Residents of Overton will be coming together to celebrate the festival, which sees the village populated with an array of colourful designs of straw-stuffed scarecrows.

Last time around, there were as many as 400 scarecrows in total that were put in place in around Overton, and this year, it is hoped more will be found.

Chairman of the Overton Scarecrow Festival Association, Steve Williams, said: “I think that it is really an attraction for people to come and visit our village.

“People come from all over to see the scarecrows, and it shows off our fantastic village and it’s community.

“There is no theme or restriction on what people can make, and it showcases the creative talent and the good sense of humour that we have here.

“There is lots of innovation, and previous designs have been excellent.”

Previous designs have included a scarecrow hanging horizontally off a lamppost with a sign attached grumbling about the weather, film stars and other amusing and creative designs.

Scarecrows will be displayed from Sunday, 1 July with a sister event, the wheelbarrow race, to be held on the Friday, 13 July, and the Grand Fete at Bridge Street Recreation Ground on the following Saturday and Sunday afternoons, with rock event Scarecrow Rocks on the Saturday evening.

Money raised from the event will be put back into the community, focusing on making money available for local sports and recreation.

For more information, visit overtonscarecrowfestival.uk or call Mr Williams on 01256 770434 or 07966921584 or Denise Williams for scarecrow making advice on 01256 770434 or 07787530677.