STRAW creations saw basketballs fly, gymnasts tumble and ice hockey players skate when a popular South Cumbria scarecrow festival returned at the weekend.

Residents of Scales got inventive for their annual festival, crafting hay and rag sculptures around the theme of sport with just weeks until the Rio Summer Olympics.

Some of the incredible handcrafted designs included a suspended gymnast defying gravity on the rings, a penalty shootout line up featuring Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and David de Gea, and Eddie the Eagle taking on the ski jump.

A total of 48 scarecrows were entered into the festival, making it another huge success for organisers.

Scales Community Association has been putting on the festival for five years, which this time included afternoon tea and cream scones in Aldingham Parish Hall over the bank holiday weekend. 

Allison Baumber, one of the organisers, said: "I think the whole village enjoys doing it. 

"There were swimmers and divers. There were synchronised swimmers and all you could see were legs stuck in the air.

"There was Eddie the Eagle and that had a ski run on a house. 

"The festival's just grown and grown. It's such a good atmosphere and the weather helped."

The money collected from the event will go towards village funds and projects such as the playground.

Previous festival themes

- In 2015 the scarecrow display had a TV programme or TV character theme, featuring Strictly Come Dancing, Top Gear and Gardeners' World.

- In 2014, classic literary tales were brought to life in a theme which celebrated some of the greatest works of all time.