A DUCK race drew in thousands of visitors as people went quackers for a great cause on New Year’s Day.

About 700 ducks made a splash at the race which started from the main bridge in Bewdley on Sunday, raising more than £2,000 for the Kidderminster and District Lions Club, which organised the event.

The money raised will be used to help the needy.

The winner, Jeff Toye, was picked when his duck crossed the finish line at Lax Lane and was retrieved by members of the Wyre Forest Canoe Club.

The race has become part of Bewdley’s calendar since it first made a splash in 1985 and has grown in popularity ever since.

Ron Cross, fund-raising chairman for the branch, estimated that thousands turned up to view the spectacle and said he believed this year’s race had been the busiest and best ever.

Some people brought their own ducks and paid to register them while others rented out a duck and paid to register it before casting it into the river Severn for the start of the race at noon.

Mr Cross said: “The river was running very fast because all the snow in Shropshire has melted. We as an organisation help people in need.

"It doesn’t matter who in the community it is. The money will go into our welfare account and be used throughout the year as and when we hear about people who need it.”