PURE bred poultry was up for sale at a Buckland Newton charity auction which attracted 3,500 bidders.

The auction, held twice annually, was at the Gaggle of Geese pub in the village, near Cerne Abbas, to raise funds for Dorset Air Ambulance.

Last year the event raised £5,460 and this time organisers were hoping to better the total after the auction was previewed in June's issue of Country Living magazine.

Gaggle of Geese landlady Jan Marpole said the publicity had brought visitors from across the country.

Jan, who runs the pub and auction with husband Trevor, said: "The turnover was more this time but we don't know what we raised yet.

"The rain didn't matter. It was a very successful day."

There were 540 lots sold in the pub's five-acre grounds.