Celebrity chefs, tasty treats and a war re-enactment were just some of the exciting attractions at this year’s revamped Accrington Food and Drink Festival.

Around 10,000 visitors flocked to the town centre for the festival with more than 50 food stalls to tempt visitors with a huge selection of favourite dishes.

Organisers Scott Dawson Advertising promised this year’s festival would be the ‘biggest the town has ever seen’ and it lived up to expectations as the sun shone with a record-breaking crowd enjoying lots of activities.

Councillor Clare Cleary, portfolio holder for the town centre, said it was a ‘fantastic day’.

She said: “We are really pleased with it and there was a brilliant turnout.

“I think everybody liked it being outside as well as in previous years we have just had it in the Town Hall which limits the numbers you can have.

“The cooking demonstrations with the celebrity chefs were very popular and it was really great to see so many people in Accrington.

“A lot of the shops and the market traders really benefited from it as well.”

Food demonstrations were held throughout the day by celebrity chef Richard Fox who cooked a speciality pizza using local ingredients including Accrington Pals Beer – specially brewed in commemoration of the heroic First World War regiment - and Lancashire cheese from the food market.

The sounds of gunfire also ricocheted around the town as a war re-enactment was held in the grounds of St James Church to commemorate the 70th anniversary of D-Day.

Crowds flocked to watch the battle between 15 German troops and 25 American GIs and were also on hand to speak to visitors.

It was one of a number of war-themed events on the day including a Abbott Self-Propelled Gun tank on show outside the Town Hall and Pegasus Bridge Airborne Replica Jeep on display inside the Arndale Centre.

A children’s cake decorating competition was held in the Market Hall and youngsters also got the chance to ‘take a selfie’ with Storage Hunters television show star Jesse McClure. They also got the chance to get their hands dirty by doing raised bed planting at the ‘Dig for Victory’ attraction run by Incredible Edibles Accrington and the Sandy Lane Gardening Group.

Visitors were also transported into the town on vintage buses.