Mayor of Sandbach, Cllr Geraint Price Jones, officially opened Sandbach Walking Festival getting the nine day event off to a sparkling start.

Organisers of Sandbach Walking Festival and walkers gathered on The Cobbles on Saturday to start the first walk of around 40 taking part in the festival.

The Mayor was joined by his wife and Mayoress, Christina Price Jones, Sandbach Footpaths Group chairman, Trevor Boxer and Graham Whitehead, who chairman of the group set up to organise the event gathered for photographs at the start.

Walkers then did a two mile walk around the town, taking in the park, Dingle Wood and Filter Bed Wood.

The festival is organised by Sandbach Footpaths Group, whose aim is to protect, improve and extend the network of public footbaths in and around the town.

Mayor Cllr Price Jones is an avid walker. He said: "Lots of people don't realise how many footpaths we have in and around Sandbach.

"Walking is a great way to exercise and enjoy the countryside we have surrounding Sandbach."

The walking festival features an "inclusive" programme which covers walks for all from a Nordic walking taster walk, a sketching landscape walk led by Sandbach Art Room, a wheelchair and dementia friendly event to short walks and long walks.

There is even a treasure hunt quiz walk featuring facts about the town with a prize hamper of local goodies donated by Godfrey C Williams & Sons as well as a relaxing mindfulness walk led by Cheshire Arts for Health.

The full programme is on Sandbach Footpaths Group's web page at www.sandbachfootpaths.org