THE River Stour's resident bird population will just have to go with the flow on Saturday when hundreds of plastic ducks join them on the Kidderminster waterway.

The annual duck race, which is now a traditional part of Kidderminster Carnival festivities, gets underway at 4pm, when the non-feathered variety of wildfowl are tipped into the river from the bridge next to the town bus station.

The event is expected to raise about £1,000 by the time the ducks cross the finishing line at the Tesco superstore.

The owner of the winner will receive a CD micro system and the runner-up will win six bottles of wine. A family ticket for West Midland Safari Park and two adult tickets for Severn Valley Railway will go to the owners of the third and fourth-placed ducks.

Shoppers will be able to buy ducks for £1 in the town centre and at Tesco throughout the day and proceeds will go to this year's carnival charity, Operation Covert, launched by the Shuttle/Times & News to rebuild the Rhydd Covert activity centre burned down by vandals last year.

Carnival day is Saturday, June 18 and there is still time to enter the parade or book space for a stall at the Brinton Park carnival field where there is a full afternoon of family entertainment.

Further details are available by contacting carnival chairman, Colin Hill, on 01562 751634 or by emailing him at chill73279@aol.com