Six judges from outside the village cast their eye over more than 100 scarecrows decking out homes and businesses in the village during the festival, which ends with the Wray Fair on Bank Holiday Monday.

The theme was "A Moment In Time" and thousands of visitors are flocking to see strawed stars including Lady Crowdiva, Sir Isaac Newton, Neil Armstrong and Walter Wrayleigh.

But one pair of feathered foe frighteners stood out for Lancaster Guardian chief reporter Rob Devey who judged the top £75 prize, sponsored by the newspaper.

The scarecrow, bearing the slogan "Waiting for Wray-cycling was made from empty plastic milk bottles, with the tops for eyes, and a green recycling bag for a body.

It was accompanied by a friend in the shape of 50-year-old Fiona Haslam who was decked out in a suit of old shredded newspaper.

Mrs Haslam, of Wennington Cottage, The Gars, made the scarecrows with husband Peter Button, who works in the box office at Lancaster's Dukes Theatre, and their children, Lucas, 13, and Sally, aged ten.

She said the family had been inspired in their creations by the lack of recycling facilities in Wray when they moved to the area from Portland Street, Lancaster, in January.

"I am completely surprised to be chosen as the winner," she said. "It must be beginners' luck but we have spent weeks making these.

"It has been good fun for the kids and they have enjoyed sitting outside in the newspaper suit as people walk past.

"We wanted to highlight the lack of recycling bins and boxes in the village because we need to be careful how much we throw away for the sake of the environment."

Mrs Haslam said she expected the family would go out for a meal with their winnings.

David Hartnup, who started the festival in 1993 to boost the Wray Fair after seeing a similar event in France, said: "The scarecrows are as good as usual and there have been one or two terrific individual efforts.

"It's been a difficult choice for the judges."

* Lancaster City Council is due to roll out recycling facilities in Wray in September.

LANCASTER GUARDIAN SCARECROW OF THE YEAR £75 - Waiting for Wray-cycling, Wennington Cottage, The Gars
Best Overall - £50, Worzel Gummidge, Coal Yard, The Kerr Family.
Best Group of Scarecrows - £45, May Pole, Barkin Gate, Edmondson and Woodhouse; £25, Henry VIII and Wives, Back of Beck, Higher Broadwood Gang; £15, May Pole, Bobbin Mill, Bobbin Mill Gang.
Individual £25 prizes - Rounders Match, Back Beck, Bill Bowman; Sir Edmund Hillary's ascent of Mount Everest, Wray House, Corinne Murray and Tony Quinn.
Individual £15 prizes - The Mad Hatter, Windsor House, Felix, Ann-Marie and Nicolas Wackers; Grandma and Nursery Rhymes, Wennington Road, Mary Huddleston; Brief Encounter, The Bungalow, Rita Smith; England Training Camp, Main Street, Anna Fellows.
£10 prizes - Stonebreaker, School Lane, David Kenyon; Amy Winehouse, Kiln Lane, Andy and Gail; The Simpsons, Wennington Road, Peter Strziker; Field Hospital, Back of Beck, Grace Ibbotson; First Time Buyer; Police House, Janet and Dave Forshaw; Jurassic, Hornby Road, Peter Edge; Monsieur Le President avec Madame Scarekrowzy, Main Street, Janet Dixon.
Special Award - Henry VIII and Wife, Gars House, Buckland; Churns, Main Street, John Ellison; Neil Armstrong, Wennington Road, Eddie Rawlinson.

Festival Itinerary
Friday May 2 - Walking with Giants Grand Scarecrow Parade, leaving Gars End 8pm.
Sunday May 4 - Scarecrow Ball Race, 2pm plus Harley Davidson Ralley.
Monday May 5 - Wray Fair from 11am including Fell Race starting at 11.30am. Entrace £3, concessions £1, under 11s free