Thousands of people flocked to Shropshire to see birds of prey in full flight at the annual British Falconry and Raptor Fair.

Organisers of the event at Chetwynd Park, in Newport, said attendance yesterday was slightly down on last year and blamed the cooler weather. But they still hope 15,000 people will fly through the gates over the course of the two-day event, which continues today.

Organiser Cheryl Morris said: “It went very well. The weather was obviously cold but it obviously didn’t put a lot of people off because we still had a very good turnout.

“There were thousands there and we even had people come over from mainland Europe.”

Mrs Morris said the first lady of British Falconry, Jemima Parry-Jones MBE, proved a big draw with continuous flying displays with her birds, including a tawny eagle, in the main arena.

The fair is billed as the world’s premier event of its kind.

It features displays by falconers, raptor enthusiasts and specialist exhibitors from around the globe.

The show had eight acres of trade stands and among them were sporting and wildlife artists, some of Europe’s leading craftsmen and demonstrations of working dogs used in falconry.

For the experts there were about 70 specialist stands, offering everything from art and books to top of the range falconry equipment.

Yesterday saw visitors enjoying a beagle show while at today’s show gatherers were expected to get a glimpse into the life of a ferret, as wellas enjoying a terrier and lurcher show.

There was plenty to do for youngsters, with quad bikes, bouncy castles and other amusements for them to enjoy.

Visitors got the chance to try their hand at archery, dog agility, black powder shooting and air-gunning while there was also a fun dog show.

The event has been running for the past 21 years.