HUNDREDS raised a glass for the return of a boozy bank holiday weekend in Harwich.

Residents and visitors flocked to the town’s pubs for the four-day Harwich Ale Trail 2019.

The annual event saw the town’s pubs serve a total of 78 ranges of carefully selected beers to customers over the festival period.

A total of 11 pubs participated in the trail this year.

The pubs on the trail included, Cafe on the Pier, New Bell Inn, The Alma, Shakers and The Stingray.

Each venue was no more than a minute’s walk from the next, making it easy for drinkers to navigate from one to the next for the ale trail.

Paul Mellor, Harwich Ale Trail organiser, said: “We had 78 different beers on across 11 different venues.

“We had about 25 ciders too.

“We probably sold about 5,000 pints of beers and 2,000 pints of cider.

“About 1,2000 people came to the pubs throughout the festival.

“Some of the pubs provided real ales just for the trail.”

Many of the pubs and bars played live music, including hearty shanties to celebrate the town’s ties to the sea.

The boozy event ran from Thursday, May 2 until Monday, May 6.

The first event, held in December 2015, was organised as a last-minute replacement for the cancelled Harwich and Dovercourt Winter Ale Festival.

It will be held again next year.