DARTH Vader, David Bowie and even the Queen made an appearance in Blackrod at the weekend.

The famous three were just some of the 109 clever creations on show as part of this year's Blackrod Scarecrow Festival, which turned the village into a hive of activity on both Saturday and Sunday.

Each year, residents, schools, community groups and traders are challenged to create their own scarecrows and put them on display throughout the village.

The straw artwork was put in place early on Saturday, ready for hundreds of visitors to the grand tour.

Organisers of the annual event — now in its tenth year — sold programmes, which guided guests on a scarecrow hunt around the surrounding streets, and all proceeds will go to Blackrod Community Fund, which pays for a wide range of activities in the village.

A minibus service was put on allowing older people to see all the scarecrows from the comfort of their seat — and they were treated to a cuppa and a scone at the end.

Margaret Hillson, aged 87, of Heaton said: "It's a really nice touch. The festival is well organised every year, there should be more of these kinds of things."

James Bowson, aged 44, of Horwich, brought his daughters, Marie, aged 14 and Charlotte, aged 10, to the festival.

He said: "It's the first time we have been and it's really good for the children.

"They have enjoyed walking up Church Street and wondering what the next scarecrow will be. Most of them are really good."

Some of the scarecrow creators had their eye on the Olympics, which take place in Brazil next month, and there were boxers, cyclists, runners and footballer scarecrows on show.

One family even displayed their own 'Olympic knitter,' complete with a set of knitting needles and some needlework.

Space travel, the Royal family, and animated movies were also covered and some youngsters wrote special poems to explain why they had created their scarecrows.

Jessica Martin, aged 35, of Wigan, said: "I like coming for an hour or two each year to see how much effort people have gone to.

"It's good to see that the shops benefit from the extra visitors, especially the ice cream shops."

St Katharine's Church was the central hub for the festival, while Blackrod Library, Blackrod Church School, the council offices, Hilltops Club and Blackrod Methodist Chapel also opened up their doors.

Musicians from Rhapsody Academy entertained the crowds with a range of songs.

From the film world, there was Willie Wonka from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Gru from Despicable Me and the characters of Frozen.

Among the highlights was a detailed depiction of rock band Queen and a scene from Wallace and Gromit.

Organisers had been concerned that the grey skies would deter visitors, but the people kept on coming.

"We saw the clouds in the morning but just grabbed the umbrella and came down," said Shirley Peters, of Blackrod.

She added: "It has been a lot of fun. When you see how much effort the children have gone to with their scarecrows and their public displays, it makes you appreciate just how important this event is to local people.

"I will definitely come back next year."

A festival spokesman said: "Despite the cold, miserable weather, it went well.

"The village has, as always, made a fabulous effort with scarecrows and we are delighted with how well the weekend has gone.

"Everyone who we have spoken to has said they have enjoyed it, even if we would all have liked it to be a bit sunnier, but it has been a lovely couple of days."