The mayor and mayoress of St Neots were among the first passengers to take a ride on the town’s new miniature railway last month.

Councillor Derek Giles and his wife, Sandie, rode on the miniature train, which has been installed at the Riverside Park, in St Neots, and will be available for rides till October.

“This is going to prove to be a wonderful asset for our town and I am sure it will bring many visitors,” said Cllr Derek Giles.

“The people involved have done a fantastic job, but there is still a lot of work to be done to complete the first loop and I would urge anybody who is interested to contact the Riverside Miniature Railway and come along and volunteer. It was so popular and successful, that additional carriages had to be brought into service,” added Cllr Giles.

Sandie Giles, who is also a district councillor for St Neots: added “It was wonderful to see the trains full within minutes of opening to the public.”

The miniature train will be running at weekends until October. The project was launched by Ivan Hewlet, who has been involved with miniature railways for more than 30 years. It is being run on a not-for-profit basis by a group of volunteers and will offer rides for an initial fare of £1 to children and adults.

“It is hoped that the project will develop over time to provide an attractive and fun amenity for our town and the wider district,” Mr Hewlett said.

INFO: If you would like to volunteer, go to: www.visitstneots.co.uk or call 01480 217037.