VINYL fanatics queued in the pouring rain to snap up rare limited editions on Record Store Day.

Truck Store in Cowley Road, the last independent record shop in Oxford, catered for a stampede of music lovers looking to buy up collectable records on Saturday.

The shop opened its doors to hundreds of vinyl collectors, with some fans starting their long wait outside the store at about 3am.

Wintry showers did not stop the hardcore fans who rejoiced in the annual occasion in what manager Carl Smithson called the store's "biggest record store day ever."

Mark Taylor, who was first in the queue to be let into the store when it opened at 8am, said he though the event was a "really good occasion."

The 46-year-old from Summertown: "I have been first for a few years. It's highly classified, the time I arrived, but it's earlier than the people behind me.

"The night wasn't too bad. It was a lot colder than last year.

"Around the two-hour mark it started getting really cold and then it started raining.

"It's a really good occasion, people chat to each other in the queue, there's a really good sense of community.

"The staff manage it really well, they let a couple people in at a time and then you can choose your stuff and it's pretty orderly.

"Because the vinyl is limited, people discuss what they really want so they can make sure people can get it - it's a good laugh."

Mr Taylor among others had a list of their most wanted items and the limited edition Record Store Day releases included Bob Dylan, Iron Maiden and Oxford's own Foals.

Truck, which opened in 2011, is not only the last independent music shop in the city but, since the closure of HMV, Virgin and Avid stores is Oxford's only dedicated record shop.

As well as Rapture in Witney, Oxfordshire music lovers also bought records at Music Box in Wallingford's Castle Street.

Truck store manager Carl Smithson, from Carterton, said it had been a hectic, but excellent day.

Yesterday there were in-store performances by Jonny Payne & The Thunder, and Neverland – the band formerly known as Balloon Ascents.

Mr Smithson said: "It was the biggest ever record store day we have had.

"There were more people than before despite the bad weather.

"It was hard work into the build up to the day, but it's a great day.

"We sold out about two thirds of our stock and a lot of other things.

"The morning had the hardcore fans, but in the afternoon we had a huge amount of people coming in who supported the shop well."