DRINKERS raised more than £30,000 for charity at this year's Bolton Beer Festival.

Organisers are reporting their busiest year yet with more than 5,000 people packing into a marquee at the rear of the Howcroft Inn, Pool Street, over the weekend.

And the thirsty punters drank the place dry a day before it was due to finish.

Clive Nightingale, who has run the festival for the last 11 years, said: "It couldn't have gone better.

"We ran out late on Saturday night just before we were due to close.

"We were disappointed that we had to turn people away on Sunday, but that was because it had gone so well."