Places Features

Over 350 scarecrow figures are the centrepiece for a two week festival on Hayling Island.  Local businesses and community groups have made the scarecrows for display in gardens, rooftops, shops and even the local police station. 

There are pirates, a lifeboat man and a bride and groom among the specially created  numbered characters.

Hundreds of odd characters in Hayling

There is a competitive element to the festival, with the best scarecrows winning awards at the town's annual carnival.

Organiser Colin Telford told BBC Radio Solent: "We've had a tremendous response - every section of the community has taken part.  Competition is fierce for the awards."

To help find the stuffed characters, a special Scarecrow Trail has been created for visitors to try and spot all the creations.

Along the high street alone, they'll spot a straw pharmacist, a scarecrow goat outside a bank, scarecrow children escaping from a nursery school and an Indiana Jones scarecrow outside an estate agents.

A life-saving scarecrow

The idea for a scarecrow festival first emerged last year, when Hayling Island's Market Town Initiative volunteer group, BEST wanted to bring together local business and community groups to boost the area as tourist destination.

Other events during the festival include scarecrow cream teas, scarecrow making workshops and postcards and limited edition scarecrow mugs on sale.

Hayling Island Scarecrow Festival -  until 9 August 2008.