A POPULAR village competition to find the best Halloween-themed scarecrows and pumpkins returns – and entrants are expected to pull out all the stops to impress.

Hudswell Halloween Scarecrow and Pumpkin Competition will run from Saturday, October 27 to Saturday, November 3, and everyone in the village is invited to display their spooky creations around the village.

Jackie Stubbs, landlady of the George and Dragon pub, has been working on her dragon scarecrow for some time and said the event is always popular with locals.

She said: “Judging takes place in the pub – everyone that comes in is welcome to vote for their favourite and there are prizes for first, second and third place.”