HUNDREDS of schoolchildren turned Weymouth seafront into a Jurassic Mardi Gras.

Dressed as sea turtles, shrimps and a giant velociraptor, they danced down the Esplanade as part of the Moving Tides procession.

The procession had to be cancelled on July 12 after the Met Office issued a warning for heavy rain in West Dorset.

This time around nothing could stop the sea snails, angler fish and squid dancing and playing drums as the parade made its way from Weymouth College to Greenhill Gardens and down to Pier Bandstand, finishing at Weymouth Pavilion .

Carnival motivator Gary Fooks said: “You can’t control the weather, but what is brilliant is we used the procession to celebrate the closing of the Paralympics.

“All the hard work that the young people and teachers put in has come to fruition.”

Students from the Arts University College Bournemouth helped to design the costumes and did workshops with the schoolchildren from Weymouth and Portland .

St George’s Primary School pupils were Jurassic plants.

Pupil Taliesin Mars, 11, said: “It feels really cool to be part of the Paralympic closing ceremony and it feels like this is a great opportunity. It only happens once a lifetime.”

Projects manager Sarah Colwell thanked staff at Weymouth College for allowing them to use the site to get everyone ready. The organisers said they would love the project to continue.