THE area's biggest beer festival continues to go from strength to strength.

There may have been a few sore heads after this year's Bent and Bongs beer bash where 10,080 pints of 80 different varieties of beer were pulled -- but it was all in a good cause.

The trouble-free, three day event organised by Atherton and Tyldesley Round Table and staged at the Formby Hall

is expected to have raised an amazing £15,000 for charity.

Beer Bash spokesman Paul Barber said: "It was the busiest year I have ever known and even though 10,080 pints of beer were consumed there was no trouble at all."

This year 80 pc of cask beers sold out with Enville Ale, Pheonix Snowbound, Oakham JHB and Burtonwood Blackparrot being the fastest selling ales. It was also a record year for cider sales and an extra delivery had to be ordered.

The Parkinson's Disease Society will be the main beneficiary but part of the proceeds from the event will go into the Round Table community service account, and the money will be distributed to a range of different charities throughout the year.

Last year's main beneficiary -- Francis House children's hospice -- had a stall at the event and raised a whopping £2,350.