A FESTIVAL set up in memory of teenager Liberty Baker is set to be bigger and better than ever as organisers prepare for its third year.

LibFest, now a staple of Witney’s annual calendar, will be held on The Leys on Saturday, June 24, offering a wide range of music and entertainment and raising money for charities in Oxfordshire.

The event has been held since 2015 to raise awareness of road safety and to remember the 14-year-old who was killed after being hit by a car while walking to school in 2014.

Liberty’s father Paul Baker said he hoped this year’s festival would be better than ever.

The 49-year-old added: “We’re really pleased it’s going to happen again.

“When we first started LibFest we didn’t have a clue what to expect or how it was all going to go and we’ve just been absolutely amazed with the support.

“Even last year, when there was monsoon-like rain on the day of the festival, we were gobsmacked by the amount of people there.

“Now LibFest is among Witney’s main summer events and has become a real part of the town’s calendar.”

As well as announcing the date for this year's festival, the organising team behind LibFest 2017 have revealed their three chosen charities: Yellow Submarine, an Oxfordshire-based organisation which supports people with learning disabilities and autism; The Teenage and Young Adults Cancer Fund based at the Churchill Hospital in Headington; and Oxford-based child bereavement charity SeeSaw, which is selected each year.

Perry Kerslake, 21, of Witney, was a friend of Liberty's and is involved with organising the festival.

He said: "We're really far ahead on last year so hopefully we're getting the knack for it now. We've got a good relationship with people around the town which is great for us because it works best if we work together.

"We've tried to keep the charities more local this year. Last year we raised more than £25,000, which was double what we got the first year. It was just absolutely overwhelming.

"It would be nice to beat that but whatever we raise will be good. As well as raising money for charity and awareness about road safety, the festival is about keeping Liberty's memory alive."

Liberty died when a car mounted the pavement and hit her while she was walking to Henry Box School in June 2014.

The driver, Robert Blackwell, was later jailed for four years for causing death by dangerous driving.

A year after her death, more than 4,000 people attended the first LibFest in Witney, raising £8,500 for charity. Last year's event saw 5,000 people attend, despite worries the rain and hail would put potential festival-goers off, and raised £25,500.