HUNDREDS of people packed the banks of the River Great Ouse for the Huntingdon Raft Races. Navigating boats made from 1,560 empty four-pint milk containers, the paddlers took 16 vessels down the river to raise money for the Mayor of Huntingdon s charity.

HUNDREDS of people packed the banks of the River Great Ouse for the Huntingdon Raft Races.

Navigating boats made from 1,560 empty four-pint milk containers, the paddlers took 16 vessels down the river to raise money for the Mayor of Huntingdon's charity.

Schools, Scout groups and rowing clubs worked to make the boats from more than 20,000 milk containers.

Heavy rain meant the water level was high at the weekend but the competition went ahead safely.

Huntingdon Boat Club won the "Golden Four-Pinter", despite stiff competition from RAF Brampton, and Thongsley Fields Primary won against St John's Primary in the schools category.

Jack Waterfall, one of the organisers, said: "Thanks to the Mayors of Huntingdon and Ely for supporting this wacky little project, and also to the many who have collected the four-pinters to enable the structure to be made.

"We now have 7,000 containers in excess of the 14,000 we appealed for just 12 weeks ago. This underlines the serious message from this venture, and demonstrates just how much plastic packaging we all have to deal with every day."

Richard Maxey, organiser of the Classic Regatta at Ely, took his family to the Raft Races. He said: "We were captivated. It seemed to have caught everyone's imagination in Huntingdon."

Ely will host an attempt to establish a world record on Saturday when the organisers float a 36-metre bridge - made from empty four-pint milk containers - across the River Great Ouse.