MORE than 500 ducks were bought and entered into the annual Tredegar Park duck race for the Mayor of Newport’s charities yesterday.

Organisers expect to raise around £600 from the event, which has been running for more than 10 years and sees rubber ducks placed into the Ebbw River.

The annual race is this year raising money for the Mayor of Newport, Cllr Herbie Thomas’ chosen charities – Diabetes UK Cymru, Alzheimer’s Research UK and Madzimai Pamwe, a Newport-based group working to promote community cohesion and support people in Zimbabwe.

Divers from the Newport branch of the British Sub-Aqua Club stood in the river to catch the ducks.

More than 500 ducks had been bought to enter the race, costing £1 each, and around 20 people stood along the river bank and watched the ducks finish the race.

Cllr Thomas, Mayor of Newport, said: “Everything we raise is very, very important.

“We have got three charities, and everything we can get is great.

“The weather is bright now so it is a nice day for it”.

Duck numbers 546 and 588 crossed the finish line first but the winners were not around.

There was also a tombola table and refreshments.