Charities and community groups pitched their work and activities to shoppers during the fifth Watford Community Festival.

More than 500 people browsed the 43 stands - ranging from the Watford District Scouts to Watford Borough Council and Watford Rotary Club - during Saturday’s annual community fair in The Parade.

The day also featured live performances from arts groups and games.

The event marks the beginning of Watford Live! The month-long arts festival kicked off on Monday night with events across the borough.

Fran Kershaw, director from Watford Live!, said: "The festival went really well. We had good weather, there were lots of people milling about the stalls and we had a wide variety of organisations.

"It’s the fifth year of the festival but the first time we held it in the performance area of The Parade, so it’s right at the end of town - but we still had 500 people here and next year will be even better."

Rotarians raffled a family ticket to Warner Bros Studio in Leavesden for charity at the event - which was won by Mohamed Rafi.

Councillor Rabi Martins said: "Holding the festival in this newly created events space worked really well.

"Not only did it help showcase Watford's voluntary sector organisations, it also helped the various groups learn about each other's work."

But the Councillor Martins urged festival organisers to increase its promotion of the event before it comes around next year.

He said: "There was very little promotion of the event further down the High Street which meant many people who were shopping in Watford missed out on the entertainment the organisers had laid on.

"Organisers of future events and Watford Borough Council must work out a way of drawing the crowds from the town to the events area in The Parade, whenever anything is happening there."

For a full programme of events and performances going on during the Watford Live! festival visit www.watfordlive.org