THE Ropley pram race – the oldest in the country – keeps getting bigger.

A record 66 entries took part in the 2.5-mile trail around the village near Alresford yester-day.

Hundreds of people lined the recreation ground to cheer them away and applaud them as the prams straggled home. The winner was Robin Houghton and his son Tristan in a near-record time of 13 minutes and two seconds.

The Ropley Newts, who last year entered three prams cunningly disguised as hospital beds, this year stretched the rules to the limit – their prams were mechanical diggers.

Among the surreal prams was a beehive, Dennis the Menace, and a pig. Sadly the inflatable banana pram was absent this year, the 45th time the race has been run.

Echo pictures by Stuart Martin.