It was like a scene from the Wacky Races as thousands of people turned out to watch a downhill karting race in Staffordshire.

Superheroes such as Batman and Robin and TV characters Wallace and Gromit were not what people would normally expect to see on a quiet country lane – but that was what was on offer at Hoar Cross, near Rugeley.

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Things were going downhill fast as the MAD Club staged its annual Hoar Cross downhill soapbox race on School Hill.

The 40 competing karts, many of them madcap designs, reached speeds of up to 35mph on the steep half-mile course which finished at the Meynell Ingram Arms .

Karts which took part in the race included a ship called HMS Orion and a Wallace and Gromit kart driven by Abbotts Bromley firefighters Gavin Mottram and Karen Hayward.

Rebecca Aldred and Tim Male, from Abbots Bromley, also showed some unbelievable racing skills as they raced their Incredibles¬ kart.

There were prizes for the fastest time and best dressed kart and a bent wheel trophy for the shortest distance travelled.

It was the sixth time the event has been held and a charity auction and post-race disco was also part of the day.

Organisers hope to raise £50,000 for Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

The MAD Club (Meynell Arms Drinkers) run a number of annual events for fun and for charities

The inaugural downhill event in 2004 attracted more than 1,000 spectators, but the number grew to more than 5,000 this year.

There is a £50 entry fee for the race with a prize also awarded to the team securing most sponsorship.