Sudbury’s Belle Vue Park was packed to capacity yesterday for the town’s annual Party in the Park celebrations.

Now in it’s fifth year, the family event drew around 4,000 people who came to enjoy a range of attractions from sporting challenges and food stalls to dance demonstrations and live music.

It was also an opportinty for the people of Sudbury to come together - some laying out picnics, others tucking into ice creams and everyone enjoying the sunshine and catching up with friends they bumped into.

Sudbury’s sporting institutions were well-represented - the town’s football, cycling, rugby and hockey clubs all had dedicated areas where people were invited to come and try their hand, or foot.

In the BMX park next door a DJ played tunes as riders competed to win the prize for best trick of the day. The skate park was also a hive of activity while a nearby temporary climbing wall was proving popular with children.

The lawn behind Belle Vue House was reserved for the younger ones who were kept busy by a Punch and Judy show and Pet’s Corner while in the central arena a number of martial arts groups performed together with the colourful Samboomba Samba Band.

According to Sue Brotherwood, clerk at Sudbury Town Council, which organises and pays for the event, Party in the Park has become a mainstay on the town’s event’s calendar.

She said: “After five years the event runs very smoothly now and we have no shortage of people wanting to get involved.

“It’s one of those events that everyone looks forward to - it’s relaxed and friendly, and we’ve made it so it needn’t cost families anything to come along and have a good day out.

“All the council staff and town wardens have given up their time for free today to help out at the bar or around the park and Tesco has even sent us two members of their team to give us a hand.”