The organisers of an annual town festival have heralded it a success despite having to cancel many of the events due to weather warnings.

Bicester Festival returned for its sixth year on Saturday, July 15, with a parade of around 200 people making their way through the town led by an inflatable lobster.

But many of the performances and events scheduled afterwards on Garth Park were cancelled as the MET Office issued a yellow weather warning of strong winds.

Nicolette Glashan, who was one of the organisers, said: “We were meant to have 13 gazebos, but that’s not going to happen when you have 40mph winds.”

But she said it was still a ‘lovely event’ with the sun coming out for the parade, which took place in the morning.

Primary and secondary school pupils walked through the streets with cardboard cutouts, which they made in a series of workshops before the festival.

This year’s theme was ‘near and far’, and pupils celebrated all the methods people could travel to Bicester by making cardboard cars, hot air balloons, and submarines.

Ms Glashan said: “People were really enthusiastic and, because it was a Saturday morning, the town centre was full.

"Lots of people were joining in and taking photos with the lobster.”

Some of the events due to take place afterwards, including workshops for paper sculptures and dance, were held at the OYAP Trust’s headquarters in the Old St Edburg's School.

The trust organised the festival, working with Bicester Town Council, Cherwell District Council, and The Mill Arts Centre in Banbury.