THOUSANDS of people lined the streets of a Hampshire town for its annual carnival celebrations.

The streets of Ringwood were transformed into a sea of colour as more than 10,000 people gathered for the carnival extravaganza.

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A two-hour procession saw more than 30 brightly decorated floats take part along with marching bands and dance troupes.

One of them included Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist DJ Allan Turner-Ward, who had a float, where he entertained crowds with his selfpenned track Shake the Knees.

There was also another procession in the evening which was a huge hit with residents.

This year’s event was declared a huge success by the Ringwood Carnival Society, who had spent months planning the carnival, which has been an annual fixture in the town since 1929.

Alix Gardner, a member of the Ringwood Carnival Committee, said: “It has been a massive success, it is a community event and we do it as volunteers. We get sponsored from local business and we want to say thank you to them and the community for supporting us.”

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Chairman of the committee, Howard Cox, added: “The support for Ringwood Carnival this year has been amazing, participation in both the processions was bigger and better than ever.”

Organisers hope the event will raise £5,000 for local causes and the Ringwood Fire Service.