Scarecrow festival brings colour for 10th year

Among the scarecrows this year was a 7ft (2.1metre) straw squirrel

The residents of a village have been getting creative with straw for its annual Scarecrow Festival.

The event, at High Wych, near Sawbridgeworth in Hertfordshire, is now in its 10th year and attracts about 2,000 people keen to see a wide selection of exhibits, with some stretching more than 7ft (2.1 metres) tall.

The theme for this year is endangered animals, with quirky scarecrows including the Loch Ness Monster, Superman - and Jeremy Clarkson.

Dave Hamilton, who fashioned the scarecrow in tribute to Clarkson's Farm, said: "I feel that Jeremy is endangered, given his age, levels of fitness and health."

Jeremy Clarkson and Kaleb Cooper from Clarkson's Farm were also immortalised in scarecrow form

Scarecrows are dotted around the village of High Wych in Hertfordshire

The festival, which has prizes for best scarecrow, raises money for charity and offers community activities, stalls and live music.

One of the organisers, Janet Bellingham, told BBC Three Counties Radio that "nobody seems to care who wins", but the scarecrows have been created by some "very talented".

"The enormous scarecrow this year is the squirrel - and that's about seven foot high," she said.

Then we have Clarkson's Farm, the Loch Ness Monster, Superman and Hungry Caterpillars.

"Everyone always looks for the great big one."

Some of the stalls at the High Wych Scarecrow Festival in Hertfordshire