Children weaved a magic spell and adults leapt for joy as a North Yorkshire village kept up centuries of tradition.

Hundreds of visitors thronged to Slingsby as the village near Malton staged its annual Maypole dancing day. Some came from as far away as Doncaster.

“We just like to keep the tradition going,” said organiser Cynthia Fell. “We have been doing this for a lot of years. I know they do it in Sinnington, but it is such a rare thing to see these days so people do travel to see it.”

A team of 16 boys and girls from the village school plaited ribbons round the Maypole and Acorn Morris Dancers from York and Scarborough Garland Dancers performed their dances and the White Star Brass Band played in an afternoon of traditional English entertainment.

The village has been dancing so long that every resident under 50 who went to the village school knows the dances.

Sinnington near Kirkbymoorside also held a May fair with maypole dancing.