Angels have descended upon a village for a church festival.

Earl Stonham’s St Mary’s Church held the event which saw residents and community groups involved.

Among those groups represented was the village’s cricket team which dedicated its angel to the Australian batsman Phillip Hughes, who died last week after he was struck on the top of the neck by a ball.

Frankie Wicks, a lay pastor at the church in the village, near Stowmarket, said: “It went absolutely brilliantly, we had a large amount of angels appear – some had been expected but not that number.

“There were lots of people; it was a thoroughly enjoyable weekend. Many of the people who were here had no church connection as a rule.

“It was a really good community effort – people came from the village and outside the village – it was a huge success.”

The church was full for a Christingle service on the Sunday with more than 100 people attending.

Mrs Wicks added: “There was a huge variety and a huge amount of different interpretations. It was the first time that we have held the event and so the response was beyond our expectations.”