Crazy soapbox race down Essex hill draws thousands of spectators

• Watch Tanya Mercer at the Great Dunmow Soapbox Race

Around 20,000 spectators lined a street in Essex to watch soapbox drivers speed over jumps and slalom around hay bales.

More than 40 carts battled it out on the Braintree Road to be crowned the winner of The Great Dunmow Soapbox Race.

Soapbox racer Wayne Stone built his cart in two days and based the design on his favourite car, a Ferrari.

"It was kind of a couple of days of rushed bodging really but it held up," he said. "It is a bit hairy.

"The steering wheel is a little bit large, but then again if it had been smaller it would have been worse.

"It took off nicely. I did forget to install the beer holder though."

However, some drivers take the event far more seriously.

Thomas Johnson, Chair of the Great Dunmow Roundtable which organised the event, said: "We think on average it takes about three to six months for people to build their carts at home.

"Some of the local companies have spent weeks and weeks... technical guys spending a lot of money building their carts ready to compete against each other."

The soapbox race is expected to raise around £40,000 for charity.