Published: Sunday, 28th June, 2009 4:00pm

Good cause to crow as cash rolls in from revellers

by Lauren Everitt

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RACEGOERS stuck in Royal Ascot traffic were kept entertained thanks to the annual scarecrow parade.

The popular Locks Ride fundraiser, in its fifth year, featured more than 20 life-size characters including Borat in a mankini, Austin Powers, Humpty Dumpty sitting on a broken wall and a motorised carriage with the Queen waving to onlookers.

One of the organisers, Ruth McNeill, who lives in Locks Ride, said: 'The scarecrow parade was absolutely brilliant and we are all so thrilled that everybody really enjoyed seeing the various characters. I think it was the best show we have ever had especially with the turn out.'

Mrs McNeill created a horse scarecrow standing up in an admiral"s jacket and a jockey spread-eagled over a bale of hay.

Organisers were astonished to raise £6,125 in donations from drivers and their passengers compared to last year"s £6,100 which included £1,000 from the South East Water after pipelaying disrupted last year"s parade. The money will be split equally between Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance, Age Concern Bracknell, Daisy"s Dream and St Mary"s School in Winkfield.

Two of the benefactors, Age Concern Bracknell and St Mary"s School also made their own scarecrows to put on parade.

Age Concern Bracknell made two characters sitting in wheelchairs while youngsters at St Mary"s made the school"s owl emblem into a scarecrow.