WEYMOUTH became carnival city when 200,000 people, a giant procession of floats and a host of displays and stalls took the town by storm.

The Red Arrows worked their magic high in the sky as an army of helpers from carnival organisers Weymouth Round Table worked tirelessly at everything from car pulls to tug of war, floats and many other events.

It all spelt sheer success for the town's biggest day of the year, which was perfectly summed up by Inspector Paul Gillott of Weymouth Police.

He said: "It has been the best carnival ever from a policing point of view and we were delighted that the event was so well behaved."

Police used 45 CCTV cameras to scan the whole event but only two people were arrested for shoplifting in a largely trouble-free day which St John Ambulance said saw them treat just one head injury caused by a thrown coin. Most of their work came from sand in people's eyes and foot injuries caused by weever fish, they said.

Huge crowds had plenty to watch from skydivers to lifeboat and Harrier jump jet displays, as well as an RAF helicopter beach assault.

Spectators were standing six deep along the Esplanade by the time the grand procession of floats snaked from the Pavilion to Lodmoor, with a huge cheer going to Carnival Queen Gemma Black and attendants Amanda Milner and Becky Lewis as their float headed the procession. A spectacular end to a spectacular day came with a dazzling firework display and the main carnival draw for a car.

Weymouth Round Table carnival chairman Paul Parker said: "It has been a bumper year. The carnival draw has gone ballistic and we have had huge crowds - just the sort of thing we were hoping for."

Weymouth Round Table chairman Richard Buxton said: "This year's event has been a huge success and I believe that we are heading for a bumper result.

"Everyone we have spoken to said that they have been busier than usual, the weather has been good and the displays superb."

Mr Parker added that the Round Table would not have an exact figure for final carnival takings for up to a month because a lot of sponsorship money was still to arrive.