In pictures: Hundreds take part in pinball event

About 400 enthusiasts are expected at a major celebration of pinball over the weekend.

The Pinfest event has taken over a hotel in Daventry, Northamptonshire.

About 130 machines have been brought to the town for competitions and free plays.

With the game enjoying a surge in popularity, there are calls for it to be included in the Olympics.

The event features men's and women's competitions and free plays for people who pay an entrance fee

The Mercure Hotel in Daventry, usually the domain of conference-goers and gym users, looks a bit different this weekend.

A bewildering range of colourful pinball machines has been trolleyed in and lined up in various different rooms.

The whole building is filled with snatches of electronic music, the sound of frenzied button-pushing, and robotic voices giving score updates.

Pinfest has returned to the town.

The organiser, Philip Murphy, says if breakdancing can be an Olympic sport, why not pinball?

Philip Murphy, one of the main organisers, said: "A lot of people think pinball died out but there are two or three brand new releases [of machines] every year.

"There is a resurgence in pinball because, although you don't get arcades like you used to, all these machines are privately owned."

As for the OIympics, he believes pinball is "not just luck, it's a very skilful game".

"If they can have breakdancing in the Olympics, why can't they have pinball?"

Ailsa Cunie is trying to get more women to play pinball

Most of the players are men, but Ailsa Cunie is using Pinfest to attract more women by organising a ladies' competition.

She said: "There's a big generation of women who've never played pinball.

"Talking to women at these shows, their partners or friends would try to teach them every time they approached a machine, which stressed them."

Ms Cunie has spent the last few years trying to create a safe space for woman to play and feels they are now ready for a competition.

Lucy is 13 and became the first female player to win a regional league

One person blazing a trail for women is Lucy, who is 13 and has become the first female player to win a regional league competition.

She said: "I've grown up with it my whole life and my dad's always been there to push me into doing it."

In the regional final, she beat her father.

She added: "If pinball was in the Olympics, that would be amazing, it would be so cool".

Craig Pullen won last year's Pinfest in Daventry

Craig Pullen, last year's Pinfest winner, said: "The scene here is really vibrant, this is the biggest show in the UK, it's the second biggest tournament in the UK, and it's all of a sudden become huge."

As for the Olympics, he said he would "love it to be an Olympic sport, I would give anything to experience that but I think that, perhaps, maybe not".