IT may have been down on the number of big floats, but Eastleigh's 117th carnival still involved a cast of hundreds while thousands lined the streets to watch the grand procession.

And while the size of the oldest carnival in the south of England took a dip for the second year running, the quality of the parade still put local rivals in the shade and hopes were high that the money-spinning event would net a charity cash bonanza.

Eastleigh Carnival Association chairman Penny Alford blamed red tape for hitting the number of entries.

She said: "There are so many health and safety issues now. Every lorry that goes in must have two walking stewards by the side and there are also insurance issues.

"But every time there are blips it recovers again and if the enthusiasm of the committee has got anything to do with it, the carnival will never die."

Organisers had dodged rain for most of carnival week before Saturday's sun-drenched finale, but Mrs Alford said the programme of events on the Leigh Road recreation ground during the week had been superbly supported.

Carnival stalwarts, Centrestage Productions Youth Theatre, may have cast a weather eye when they decided to make their impressive Noah's Ark float.

But although the rains never came on Saturday, the group scored its tenth trophy triumph in the last 12 years.

The grand procession was led by Eastleigh mayor Councillor June Hughes, riding in a Rolls Royce, while carnival queen Emma Aplin and princesses, Kirsty Cole and Katherine Harvey, ruled the waves from a flower-decked garden float.