THE Great Dorset Steam Fair starts today and this five-day event will see an estimated quarter of a million people descending on Tarrant Hinton.

Dorset Police are warning of massive traffic congestion as visitors from all over the world come to see the 225 working steam engines, 100 fairground organs and thousands of other vintage exhibits.

This, the 35th Great Dorset Steam Fair, runs until Sunday August 31 and promises to be better than ever.

Racing driver Stirling Moss is expected to pull in the spectators on Saturday when he'll opt for a less speedy mode of travel and drive a steam engine.

And for the first time in 10 years steam yachts are making a comeback at the show - they are like old-fashioned fairground swingboats and can hold up to 50 people.

Ron Taylor, 93, will be back this year with his famous boxing and wrestling booth.

And there's a chance to win £1,000 by successfully completing a tough challenge to build a steam motorcycle and ride it around the Wall of Death.

Most of the engines, tractors and locomotives on display have been lovingly restored and will be displayed in fully working order.

Among the new fairground attractions are a new rollercoaster and the Drop Tower in which brave fair-goers can plummet 120ft.

Organiser Martin Oliver said advance sales for the show are already up on last year with visitors coming from Australia, South Africa, the USA and Europe.

The steam fair has an infrastructure of its own with hundreds of portable lavatories, a postal service, public telephones, food stalls and a bus service from Blandford - and there will be plenty of live entertainment.

This year the North Dorset Railway Trust, which recently announced plans to convert the derelict station at Shillingstone into a museum, will have a stand at the fair.

Dorset Police has been working alongside the Highways Authority in an attempt to minimise traffic problems.

Dorset Air Ambulance was called after a 40-year-old man suffered a spinal injury in the heavy machinary area of the Steam Fair site yesterday.

He was flown to Dorset County Hospital at Dorchester where his condition was described as stable.