CALNE went quackers on Saturday when thousands of ducks competed in the Lion's annual duck race on the River Marden.

Throngs of excited people lined the race route, from Somerfields car park to the wharf, to cheer their ducks onto victory.

At 11am the audience hushed and after a three-second countdown 2,500 yellow plastic ducks were dumped into the river from six bin-liners. Calne Lions vice-president Les Long said: "There was just a wall of yellow as the ducks were poured in the river."

He added: "There was a great atmosphere on the day and it went superbly. The people of Calne really responded to the event and I was really pleased."

The top £200 prize went to Teresa Beese, the director of customer services at Smallbone, in Devizes, whose duck completed the course in 20 minutes.

She said: "I was absolutely gobsmacked when I heard the news. I have never won anything in my life, and I'm delighted with my duck's performance."

The Lions started selling £1 tickets for the ducks in April. They went door-to-door throughout the town and were overwhelmed with the response from residents, selling 5,000 tickets, which was 400 more than ever before.

They hope the event will have raised £4,200 for local good causes.

After the race there was a fete on the grass outside Marden Court.