Organisers are gearing up for one of Burton's most famous events - 153 years after it was first held in the town.

Burton Regatta take place on Saturday, July 14 and Sunday, July 15, and promises to be a highly competitive event with the traditional 'Oxford versus Cambridge' style boat racing over the two days of events on the River Trent at Burton's Regatta Meadows.

There will also be family entertainment on the river bank.

Burton Regatta is organised by the Burton Amateur Regatta Association and the two local rowing clubs in Burton - Trent Rowing Club and Burton Leander Rowing Club.

The two-day rowing event was first held in 1865 and is one of the oldest annual sporting events in the country, say organisers. It is nationally recognised as one of the finest remaining river regattas, said a spokesman.

Jazmine and Jade Smith with the two anniversary T-shirts that were on sale to mark the 150th Regatta at Burton in 2015

Each year the event attracts competitors from all over the country to compete for an array of silver trophies.

Kenny Holmes, the regatta's new chairman, said: "We are hoping for sun and we usually see about several hundred, if not 1,000, people there at the weekend.

"We will have what we call the riverside showcase which is where businesses and organisation showcase the services they provide.

"We will also have bouncy castles and sweet stalls. It will be very family friendly.

"We have hundreds of competitors, mostly from the Midlands, but we also have one or two from Germany.

"Burton Leander Rowing Club has a link with Lingen Ems Rowing Club, in Germany.

Burton Regatta participants in 2015

"We have been going for more than 150 years which is pretty good. It is one of the oldest regatta in the country. Burton still has the bug for rowing."

The Saturday sees a rowing course length of 1,100 metres racing from the Leicester Line railway bridge to a point 100 metres upstream of the Ferry Bridge on the river.

Crews return the following day to compete over a 700-metre sprint course with the same finish line.

The Burton Regatta was cancelled in 2016 due to high amounts of water on the Washlands because of rain.

The heavy rain made it difficult for trailers to set up in the trailer park or for the necessary tents and marquees to be assembled nearby.

It was the third time in the past decade that the regatta did go ahead following cancellations in 2007 and 2012.

Both rowing clubs benefit financially from the competition each year.

Both day's events will take place from around 8.30am until 4pm.