A large crowd lined Blakeney quay on Saturday, to watch an annual rubber duck race organised to raise funds for the village wildfowlers group and Blakeney Neighbourhood Housing Society.

Hundreds watched with bated breath as a thousand ducks set sail on the incoming tide, with the first duck over the finishing line bagging their sponsor a �100 prize.

Other attractions included stalls, a raffle and a barbecue, with entertainment laid on by local songsters the Old Wild Rovers.

Blakeney Wildfowlers member Paul Reed, who helped organise the event, was delighted with the large turnout.

"Because the school holidays are over and there aren't so many visitors around, we weren't expecting so many people," he said. "But we were really pleased to sell all the ducks and it just goes to show how much support there is for both the housing society and the wildfowlers."

Half the proceeds will go to Blakeney Neighbourhood Housing Society, with the rest going towards the upkeep of the village pond, which boasts more than 40 varieties of duck, as well as swans and other wildfowl.