MORRIS dancers turned Mirfield into a riot of colour and music on Saturday.

The town hosted the Mirfield Coronation Dance Festival, its second annual celebration of morris dancing aimed at keeping the tradition alive. 

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Groups came from as far afield as Darlington and Hull to perform at five Mirfield pubs.

One of the 10 groups, Locos in Motion from Darlington, take inspiration from the Stockton to Darlington Railway, a passenger line which dates back to 1825.

John Rennie, 64, who runs the group with wife Joy, also 64, said there were three distinctive traditions of morris dancing: the Welsh borders style in special costumes, North West Morris which used clogs, bells and garlands, and Cotswolds which favoured hankies.

Following an afternoon of performing, the groups returned to St Paul’s Church, Eastthorpe, for a ‘dance off’.

Loco in Motion made the final three but the winners – selected by an audience clap-o-meter – were the ladies from Green Ginger Garland in Hull.

Mayor of Mirfield Clr Vivien Lees-Hamilton presented a trophy and medals to the winners.