WATCHET'S Esplanade Club swept the board at the town's hotly-contested annual carnival on Sunday, walking away with no fewer than three cups and the best driver accolade.

The club's entry Watchet Goes West was named best overall entry, best pub entry and best feature float over 30 feet, while Richard Burnell collected the prize for best driver.

His tractor was converted into a steam locomotive for the occasion, while the float was turned into a rail carriage featuring gun-toting Wild West outlaws, cowboys and Indian squaws.

The entry pipped Watchet's Royal British Legion Club's Candy Man into second place in both the best pub and best feature float over 30 feet sections.

The town's Little Vikings children's centre and Knights Templar's First School's Parrot Club won cups with their respective entries Over The Rainbow and If I Knew You Were Coming I'd Have Baked A Cake.

Little Vikings took home the Watchet Phoenix Cup for best dressed oddity and came second in the best walking group category.

The Parrot Club won the Wessex Malthouse Cup for best walking group and came third in the under 11s children's section.

Dance group DREAMS triumphed in the children's category with Recycle Rockers to win the Kidz Cup and took the Dave the Mace Cup for best feature float under 30 feet.

A group of visiting Austrians from the Somerset Language School collected the honour for best alien entry, while the best first time entry was won by Lastminute.com and their host of jellyfish From The Depths.

It was also another successful year for carnival regular David Milton, who looked pretty in pink to win best walking single and claim second places in both the best humorous entry and best dressed oddity.

Carnival queen Lauren Sherrin was presented with the Jade Chatfield Memorial Trophy by Judith Chatfield to mark the start of her 'queenship'.

She was joined for the big procession by other members of the Watchet royal family - attendant Emma Boustead, princesses Chai Anning, and Bethany Porter and princes Jaydn Nunn and Thomas Sweeney.

Jackie Bale of Watchet Carnival said she had been amazed by the high quality of entries and thanked the judges - Dave Westcott, Pam Bosley, Hannah Bays and Steve Grainger - for their help.

"Each year the clubs raise their game and when you see the entries for the first time you're stunned by what they've done," she said.

The grand procession from the Market Street car park, through the town to the memorial ground was followed later in the evening by an "air dance" - described by Mrs Bale as "a barn dance without a barn".

She said the entire day had gone without a hitch and thanked everyone who took part, donated money and collected cash.

"It was an organisers' dream, it was fantastic and the stunning weather made the day.

"Watchet was really busy and we're so pleased everyone had a great time," she said.

The next event in the carnival calendar is the music festival weekend from August 27-29.

Headline acts include tributes The Stones and My Winehouse on the Friday night, The Beat on Saturday and Adrian Edmondson and The Bad Shepherds on Sunday.

More information is available on the website http://www.watchetfestival.co.uk">www.watchetfestival.co.uk.

RESULTS

(in 1, 2, 3 order)

Watchet Town Council Trophy for best overall entry - The Esplanade Club (Watchet Goes West); Crier Cup for best first time entry - Lastminute.com (From The Depths); best alien entry - Somerset Language School (Saalfelden, Austria); best vintage vehicle - the Chamberlain family (1947 Field Marshall tractor), Mark Groves (1956 Standard 10); best custom vehicle - Asquith (Great Western Cars), Bottom Gear (Mark Mossman); best driver - Richard Burnell of The Esplanade Club (Watchet Goes West); Howard Strong Memorial Cup for the best walking single - David Milton (Keep Young and Beautiful), Ray Waterman (Punch and Judy); Quay West Cup for the best walking pair - Dee Mayo and Jan Barker (Watchet Corn Dollies); Wessex Malthouse Cup for the best walking group - Parrot Club (If I Knew You Were Coming I'd Have Baked A Cake), Little Vikings (Over The Rainbow).

Paddy Flynn Cup for the best humorous entry - Mark Mossman (Bottom Gear), David Milton (Keep Young and Beautiful); Watchet Phoenix Cup for the best dressed oddity - Little Vikings (Over The Rainbow), David Milton (Keep Young and Beautiful); Kidz Cup for the best kids' entry under 11 years - DREAMS (Recycle Rockers), 1st Watchet Cubs (A Pirate's Life For Me), Parrot Club (If I Knew You Were Coming I'd Have Baked A Cake); Dave the Mace Cup for the best feature float under 30 feet - Recycle Rockers (DREAMS), Old MacDonald's Farm (Zippy, Eammon, Nick and Crew); Stella Alexander Cup for best feature float over 30 feet - The Esplanade Club (Watchet Goes West), Watchet RBL (Candy Man); Anchor Inn shield for the best pub entry - Esplanade Club (Watchet Goes West), Watchet RBL (Candy Man).

John Hamilton Memorial Trophy for the best dressed shop - St Margaret's Somerset Hospice in Swain Street; best dressed boat - OPS owned by Mr and Mrs Valentine; best illuminated boat - Moon Shadow owned by Mr and Mrs Nesbitt; Jade Chatfield Memorial Trophy - carnival queen Lauren Sherrin.