In pictures: A barrel of laughs in Grantchester for annual relay race

Hundreds turned out for the Grantchester Boxing Day barrel race, which this year marked 20 years since it was revived.

More than 1,500 people lined the streets as teams battled it out to win the frantic relay race pushing wooden barrels along a 100-yard course through the village.

The action takes place on the Coton Road, with spectators risking life and limb behind a line of straw while the barrels career past.

The tradition first started in the 1960s and was revived 20 years ago with great success.

The event kicked off at noon with teams from The Red Lion, The Blue Ball, The Rupert Brooke and The Green Man pubs, as well as those not associated with the venues.

One of the organisers, Francis Burkitt, a canon of Ely Cathedral, said: “It was wonderful - one of our best actually. It’s 20 years since we revived it and, actually, as a 20th anniversary, it couldn’t have gone better and it was really helped by the weather.”

The winners were: Men – The Red Lion Roarers; Ladies – West End Girls, from The Green Man; Family and Friends – Lacies Farm; Next Generation (aged 16 to 25) – The Rupert Brooke.

And in the Honoured Guests section – featuring the only teams allowed without a link to Grantchester – the winners were Foxcotte, from Barton, a team supported by The Blue Ball pub.

Francis continued: “What was really nice is it was less of the old lags this year and more first time rollers. The only rule is that there must be absolutely no training for the event. If you get caught practising, you’re instantly disqualified. It’s meant to be an amateur sport that you just have to muck in and have a bit of fun. People pick it up pretty quickly, but we probably had a few more bangs and smashes than average because people were first time rollers.”

A bucket collection raised £1,000 to support works to Grantchester Village Hall.