The Lions Club of Sidmouth will be staging its annual Great Duck Derby on the River Sid on Sunday, July 20.

The Lions Club of Sidmouth will be staging its annual Great Duck Derby on the River Sid on Sunday, July 20.

Events start at 2.15pm, by Sid Park Road Bridge in the Byes, with the children's Duck & Spoon races - and these are followed at 2.45pm by the start of the Corporate Duck Race with little red ducks.

The main Duck Race starts at 3pm when hundreds of yellow plastic ducks enter the River Sid from the Sid Park Road Bridge and "race" downstream, jostling to be the leader. The first yellow duck to descend the weir above Waterloo Bridge, Salcombe Road, earns its owner the winner's prize of £400.

The second prize is £100, while the third prize is £75.

There are six £40 and 10 £20 "swimmer-up" prizes.

The 'yellow duck' tickets cost £1 each and are available from members of the Lions Club who, with the consent of the owners, will be selling the duck tickets in hotels and pubs around the town.

Duck race tickets can also be bought outside Somerfield in the High Street, from 10am to 5pm on July 9, 10, 11, 16, 17 and 18, and outside Lidl in Woolbrook, from 10am to 5pm on July 5, 7, 12, 14 and 19.

On Sunday, July 20, duck tickets will be available from the Sidmouth Lions' gazebos near the start and finish of the race.

Spokesman Chris Rignall told the Herald: "So, please get your tickets soon and come along to the banks of the River Sid on July 20 for a fun afternoon and to watch the races and cheer on your ducks.

As usual, all the Great Duck Derby proceeds are for charity.

This year the principal beneficiaries of the main Duck Race will be the British Heart Foundation and the Devon County Association for the Blind - plus Sidmouth Lions' charity activities.