The streets of Leeds were filled with the sights and sounds of the colourful Caribbean as the city once again played host to its spectacular West Indian carnival.
Over 100,000 people came to Leeds, many from the West Indies, to enjoy the festival, which is the largest of its kind in the UK outside London.
* Click here to sign up to free news and sport email alerts from Chapel Allerton Today.The Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Judith Elliot officially got the party underway on the main stage at Potternewton Park.
* Click here to become a fan of Chapel Allerton Today on Facebook.And right on cue, the sun shone down as the carnival's vibrant parade made its way out of the park and through inner city streets in the area.
Opening the carnival, Coun Elliot said: "It is easy to see why this carnival is so well known not only in England but across Europe."
* Click here for latest Chapel Allerton news.This year's event was the carnival's 42nd year.
The fun began with a carnival style breakfast, served at the Leeds West Indian Centre early yesterday morning.
The event got in full swing with performances and concerts in the park before the pavements became jammed with onlookers watching the showpiece procession of floats, colourful costumes and headresses, handmade over the last year by a team of volunteers.
Erik Richardson, 76, originally from St Kitts in the Caribbean had been coming to the carnival since its early days.
He told
Chapel Allerton Today: "I always come to carnival because where I come from we have always had them.
"I always enjoy myself and Leeds has a good go at doing carnivals like they have back in the West Indies."
Ohmahr Benisreal, 45, from Manchester, added: "I've been two or three times to Leeds before. It's a chance to see people you haven't seen for a long time and it's all a melting pot. It's a chance for people to put aside their differences, at least for one day."
