ONE hundred shoppers tried to guess how many yellow plastic ducks had been locked in a car in St Neots Market Square on Friday. The car, which was supplied by Martson Hotels for Papworth Hospital, was filled with the yellow bath-time toys with the aim of

ONE hundred shoppers tried to guess how many yellow plastic ducks had been locked in a car in St Neots Market Square on Friday.

The car, which was supplied by Martson Hotels for Papworth Hospital, was filled with the yellow bath-time toys with the aim of encouraging people to adopt a duck in the lead-up to The Great Papworth Hospital Charity Duck Race.

On the day, it was Kerry McDonald, from Eynesbury, whose guess of 1,500 secured the prizes

She won a bottle of champagne and a teddy bear, donated by Martson Hotels, as there were 1,479 ducks packed into the car.

The Great Papworth Duck Race will take place on Sunday, August 6, starting at 2.30pm on the River Great Ouse opposite the rowing club in St Neots.

First prize is £1,000 to spend on garden furniture and a barbecue, second prize is £750 worth of holiday vouchers and third prize is a wide screen plasma television.

The race will also feature lots of family friendly events starting at 11am with fair ground rides, the chance to get close to a fire engine and hog roast for the hungry.

The ducks will be launched into the river by Cambridgeshire firefighters and the race will end when the first 19 ducks reach the trap constructed at the finish line.

It is hoped the duck race will raise £50,000 for a new piece of patient monitoring equipment for the hospital.

INFORMATION: To make sure you're in with a chance to win one of the fabulous prizes, and to help support a great hospital, adopt a duck for £3 by visiting www.duckcentral.co.uk/papworth or fill in the form below.