DOCTOR Doolittle, Ace Ventura and Bill Oddie are playing their parts in East Hagbourne’s scarecrow trail.

Little Bo Peep, the Pied Piper and Beatrix Potter are also among 34 entries for the annual competition, which provides a scarecrow trail followed by villagers and visitors this week.

The theme is ‘Mad About Animals’, and people traipse the village searching out the scarecrows of varying shapes and sizes.

Organising action group member Alice Smith said: “There really is some creativity out there. We are amazed by how good people are.”

The event ends on Sunday, and funds raised will go to help the Liuli region in Tanzania.