76137-169BATTLING four-wheeled robots have taken to the streets of Swindon town centre in a fight of survival.

Youngsters, parents and grandparents have been mechanically clashing in Canal Walk with the aim of flipping over their opponents' robots, just like those in the BBC television series Robot Wars.

The robots battle it out in a cage with their operators at all four corners, with a seasoned veteran taking on three beginners.

Andrew Cotterell, managing director of Robots R Us, which run the event said: "Over the past few days the event seems to have attracted all kinds of people from children to grandparents, so it's really caught the imagination.

"The robots are very different to the ones in the television series. They only weigh 70kg and they won't tear each other apart with claws and I think Health and Safety would have something to say if they used flame throwers.

"They are simply designed to flip-over opponents and pick themselves up again."

Nine-year-old Jack Sweeney who had a go at the Robogeddon game said: "It was great fun, I didn't get to flip over anyone because it was hard to control but I really thought it was great, I'd love to have one at home."

Lilly Treacy, 11 from Chippenham managed to flip her opponent's robot over. She said: "It was really fun but very hard to control, because all the others are coming at you from everywhere. I was really happy to flip the other robot over, I cornered him and got him."