Bumper Crowds Enjoy Bedford Christmas Market

Thousands of people visited Bedford Town centre this weekend to enjoy the Christmas Fair and take advantage of the Mayor's Free Parking Deal.

The traditional Victorian attractions returned to the town centre, including the Helter Skelter, steam engine, carousel and stall holders in Victorian costumes. This year, there was also a wider range of street entertainment and stalls to browse and pick up a wide range of Christmas gifts.

Latest figures show this year's Christmas Fair attracted a total increased footfall of just over 13,000 compared to 2012, as well as an additional 10,000 per day compared to the previous weekend. In addition, Lurke Street car park alone was used by more than 1,600 vehicles, a record since the introduction of the Mayor's Free Parking Deal last month.

Lib Dem Mayor of Bedford Borough, Dave Hodgson, said: "The Christmas Fair is a major part of Christmas in Bedford and once again it attracted thousands of shoppers and visitors into the town centre.

"The Christmas Fair is a key part of our efforts to support a vibrant and bustling town centre, particularly in the run up to Christmas and it is excellent news that the event was well supported once again."