BEER drinkers flocked to an East Lancashire festival from as far afield as Canada and Europe - after reading all about it on the Internet.

And thirsty visitors to the third annual Accrington Beer Festival sank a mind-boggling 5,472 pints to leave festival chiefs ale-ated.

Co-organiser Roy Hartley told the Citizen: "Around 1, 200 people from all over the country and beyond came this year, and we had enquiries from America, asking about the festival and what Accrington was!

"It was the best festival yet."

The Beer of the Year award went to Sam Truman's, which went down a treat with the organisers, but the fastest selling ale of the four-day event was Burnley-based Moorhouses' Pendle Witch, which sold out on the first afternoon!

A total of 70 different cask ales were on offer at the festival, along with 20 varieties of bottled beers and a wide selection of ciders and perries. All four East Lancs breweries - Thwaites, Moorhouses, Porter and the Blackburn Brewing Company - were also represented.

Around £500 was raised for the Mayor's Fund, and a collection for closure-threatened Chaigley Manor netted £30.

Roy said: "We'd just like to thank Moorhouses for the use of their wagon, because without it there would've been no festival.

"Now we're looking forward to next year. These festivals are a lot of hard work, but they're worth it."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.