THE MELA Festival brought a splash of colour to a wet and windy Warrington on Sunday.

More than 1,400 festival goers attended the event at Queens Gardens with many refusing to let the gloomy weather dampen their spirits.

MELAs are traditionally an Asian celebration but the Warrington Ethnic Communities Association decided to step away from tradition and celebrate the diverse cultures of Warrington.

This year, the event was packed with performances by dancers and singers from the town, which included Bhangra dancing and Bollywood music.

There was also the chance to sample different cuisine from around the world.

Gemma Johnson, cultural director of Culture Warrington, who helped to organises the festival, said: “It was fantastic to see that even when the weather tried its very best to wash-out the event, most visitors stood firm and refused to give up on it.

“This is a wonderful event for Warrington’s communities and one which Culture Warrington and WECA are particularly proud of.

“The MELA grows in strength from year to year and the professionalism of the teams involved is quite remarkable”