The River Stour was once again awash with plastic yellow ducks on Saturday as the Rotary Club of Canterbury held its annual duck race.

More than 3,000 were tipped into the water from a bridge in Toddlers’ Cove on the stroke of 11am with the winner the first duck to make it over the finishing line close to Tower House in the Westgate Gardens.

Each duck had cost the entrants £1 to buy and they helped raise more than £5,000 for the club’s charitable work.

The duck which eventually won came in with a lead of some 20 yards and had been bought by Debbie Wells from Chatham. She won a prize of £250, which had been put up by the event’s main sponsor Crimefighter Alarms.

Robert Yonge, the president of the Rotary Club of Canterbury, said: “This event has really grown in the 10 or so years that we have been doing it and it has been established as an annual Canterbury event.

“The people of the city and those who come here and buy ducks are very generous and a lot of people come with their children to watch the actual race.

“We have a charitable foundation and through that we will be making donations to local charities and some international ones.

“I’m also grateful to all our corporate sponsors and to Crimefighter Alarms which has been sponsoring the main prize for a couple of years.”

There was also a corporate race for which companies had paid £25 for red ducks which floated alongside their yellow companions down the river.

The winning firm was shipping firm Ridgeway International and it won a case of Champagne.

Mr Yonge added: “The duck race is a great event and long may it continue.”

See this week's Gazette for more pictures of the event.