RUGFEST returned from a two-year hiatus to rock Wallingford this weekend.

Thousands turned out for performances from Scouting for Girls, the Inflatables and a host of other acts in the glorious weather.

The headliners, who have sold millions of records and sung ‘She’s So Lovely’, were joined by the Lazy Eights, George Michael tribute act James Bermingham, Martin Harley and various others at Wallingford Rugby Club.

Gritty London girl duo Rews, Anglo-French singer Michael Baker, Bristol bhangra collective RSVP and Wantage ska six-piece Quadrophobe - who have played every festival - also wowed crowds.

A generous selection of ales, lagers and cider accompanied a cocktail bar by Wallingford’s Old Post Office and a new, bigger children’s play area at the club.

Meanwhile videos are circulating online of a gang of dancing policeman getting into the spirit of things, with one of them photographed with spiderman face paint on – making him a star of the show, according to organiser Guy Hewitt.

He said: “It was absolutely amazing. We could not make it up.

“The weather was amazing, we even had a sunset to match the banners.”

Praising Scouting for Girls, who closed the event, he added: “They were ridiculously good, just bonkers.”

The festival, which took place on Friday and Saturday, also featured ‘kids stages’ and a Free Arts and Crafts drop-in centre on Friday Night in the Kids Zone.

Having become a firm favourite in the town calender for eight years, the festival had to be put on hold in 2016 when the rugby club could not hold the event with building work ongoing.

The event was cancelled while a refurbishment of the club house and changing rooms was finished.

And last year, following the completion of a £70,000 drainage scheme on one of the pitches, the club decided that they did not want to have thousands of people walking and driving across it.

This year, the festival finally returned with a bang.

Crowds peaked at around 3,000 during Scouting For Girls' performance, but many more attended over the weekend, including festival-goers who camped.

Organisers announced that they were releasing extra tickets late on Thursday night after high demand.

As well as raising funds for the rugby club, organisers named this year’s charity as the Footsteps Foundation in nearby Dorchester on Thames, which provides grants for disabled children to use the village’s Footsteps physiotherapy centre.

Asked whether it would return next year, Mr Hewitt said: “Watch this space - people loved it, why wouldn’t we do it again?”

On Facebook, the event wrote ‘see you next year’.

Alongside sponsors Lowddon Brewery and the Post Office in Wallingford, organisers also thanked Wallingford-based Bunkfest for its support, labelling them 'like a sister festival'.

The free family event takes place in Wallingford from Friday, August 31, to Sunday, September 2.

See bunkfest.co.uk for updates on this year's performers.