THOSE who popped along to the Grove and Wantage Extravaganza were treated to an afternoon of sheer strength as the Tug of War championships rolled into town.

Hundreds of people enjoyed the festival and its live music, food, and activities for all the family on Saturday.

But the annual event - not in its third year - also hosted the National Outdoor Tug of War Championships as the strongest teams in the land competed in the ultimate test of strength.

Around 250 competitors took part as 20 teams from around the country pulled and pulled and huffed and puffed throughout the afternoon.

Tug of War Association spokesman, Alan Knott, said: "We had a great day, luckily the weather remained largely dry, so we had good conditions for competitive tug of war, which was great for all the spectators and visitors who came along to the event.

He added: "We would like to thank the Grove and Wantage Extravaganza organising committee and all of their volunteers for their assistance in helping us to stage this event."

The Lincoln men's team dominated, winning three of the five weight categories, while Bedford Ladies won both of their weight classes.