A packed week of fun came to a spectacular finale in Hastings with a carnival watched by more than 20,000 people.

The 33rd Old Town Carnival began with a day of free concerts and art exhibitions culminating in a procession through the Old Town and a firework display.

Carnival secretary Babs Muggridge said: "It has been an excellent carnival. It started to rain as the procession was coming back but we had a nice evening.

"The floats were beautiful, out of this world.

"Our theme this year was 50 Glorious Years, in honour of the jubilee. The people on the floats made a real effort."

Money collected along the route was being counted this week and will be distributed to charities in and around Hastings and St Leonards.

One ever-popular event in the carnival calendar was the Old Town Bike Race, where fit contestants race up the steepest hill in the town for the coveted Jimmy Read Memorial Trophy.

Other attractions included coffee mornings, music recitals and a tug-of-war outside the lifeboat station.