A WATER festival is being held to mark the 25th anniversary of a well-known canal restoration trust.

The Wilts and Berks Canal Trust has been working tirelessly for a quarter of a century to bring the former canal back to life as part of a £102m scheme.

Now trust volunteers from Melksham, Chippenham and Lyneham hope the resurrection of a colourful trailboat festival will draw in more than 10,000 people and revive interest in the multi-million pound scheme.

Last held in 1998 the festival will take place this year at the restored Wootton Bassett stretch of the Wilts and Berks canal. World-famous explorer David Hempleman-Adams has been drafted in to open the event.

Youth clubs and schools from across Wiltshire have been invited to attend the landmark festival.

It will feature live music, an illuminated boat parade and hot air balloon rides.

A recent study commissioned by the trust to look at the canal's route through Melksham has rejuvenated interest in the ambitious project.

Civic leaders have called for the canal to be brought into the town centre, hoping it will bring thousands of tourists, canal enthusiasts and boat lovers to Melksham.

But the scheme is fraught with planning, engineering and funding problems and trust volunteers face an uphill battle.

One proposed route caused uproar among farmers in Melksham and Bowerhill.

They feared that their farms would be split in half by the canal.

Colin Fletcher, chairman of the trust's Melksham branch, said he hoped the trailboat festival would help raise much-needed funds.

He said: "We are hoping to see vast crowds at the festival next month.

"Anyone who shares our vision is more than welcome to join us.

"The festival will be hugely entertaining and will underline the delights of a fully restored canal and its leisure, environmental and economic opportunities.

"It will bring enormous benefits to walkers, riders, cyclists and anglers as well as boaters.

"The canal scheme will extend the navigable inland waterways system and also help to promote rural and small town regeneration."

The festival will be held from June 14 to June 16 at Templars Firs in Wootton Bassett.