A gardening competition has been replaced by a scarecrow festival after it was put on hold due to social distancing concerns.

Aylsham in Bloom has been postponed due to safety concerns around the public being invited into other people's gardens. Instead, it will be replaced by a scarecrow festival which will run from March 27 to April 11.

Residents are invited to create a scarecrow which can be added to a trail map for families to follow while exercising during lockdown.

Eastern Daily Press: Aylsham in Bloom will be replaced with a scarecrow festival.Aylsham in Bloom will be replaced with a scarecrow festival. (Image: Aylsham Town Council)

Aylsham Town Council clerk, Sue Lake, said: "We normally do an open gardens every other year in June, but felt even now it was a bit early to let strangers into people's gardens.

"There was an unofficial scarecrow festival last year so we thought we'd have a proper one to tie in with Easter and then do something else garden related later in the year."

Trail maps can be collected from Aylsham Town Council's office or downloaded from aylsham-tc.gov.uk/

To enter a scarecrow to the festival email aylshamtc20@gmail.com

Eastern Daily Press: Aylsham in Bloom will be replaced with a scarecrow festival.Aylsham in Bloom will be replaced with a scarecrow festival. (Image: Aylsham Town Council)