A DOWNPOUR couldn’t stop hundreds of families descending on Willow Brook Gardens in Wroughton today for the annual duck race.

Every year, the battle of the bathtub favourites attracts people from far and wide as hundreds of the rubber ducks make their way downstream to celebrate the traditional spring bank holiday.

This year, all 900 ducks sold out with people still eager to enter the race on the day - including Julia Cohen, who took along her two-year-old daughter Gabby.

“Despite the weather, it is such a great family event and there is a big turnout - each year we’ve been there always seems to be,” the 43-year-old said.

“It rained last year at the same time but to be honest at least it topped up the brook to give the ducks a helping hand.”

The first race kicked off at 1pm with families keeping track of how their rubber fledglings were doing.

American-born Judy Linton, 41, has only lived in Wroughton for six months so it was her first time attending the race with her husband Mike, 44, and daughter Madison, four.

“Madison was able to get the last duck,” she said. “It is such a great family event with so many people. It looks great to see that and this is what it is all about on these holidays.”

As well as the main race, there was also the business challenge, where local organisations are invited to decorate a large decoy duck, in the Business Challenge Shield, as well as the Mike Smith Memorial Race. The final race of the day was the Mike Hinder Memorial Cup.

The Wroughton Silver Band were on hand to provide entertainment before ducking off as the heavens opened while there was also a whole host of other exciting activities in the Ellendune Community Centre.

A number of stalls promoted their organisations on the day, including Wroughton Carnival and the Wroughton Brownies.

Brian Tildesley, one of the organisers, said: “It is a very popular event in Wroughton and even before the race has started it is busy. It is nice to see so many people turn out and enjoy themselves because it is something for the whole village.”

The money raised will be split between local youth groups in Wroughton.