BANBURY’S street were alive with music and cries of ‘oyez, oyez’ for the annual town crier competition.

Twenty-four criers from across the country along with one from Belgium, Willie van der Putte, took part in Saturday’s contest at Whately Hall Hotel, in Horsefair.

Each crier had to perform two pieces of between 75 and 125 words each, including four ‘oyez’ and a ‘God Save the Queen’. Organiser and Banbury Town Crier Anthony Church said: “We had some really good criers this year. They were all pretty creative.”

Mr van der Putte came over because he had always wanted to take part in a British competition.

Brenda Willison, town crier for Bakewell in Derbyshire, was the winner.