PINK fluffy cowboy hats and bonnets covered with Easter eggs, chicks and yellow daffodils, impressed judges at the Variety Club Wessex’s annual Easter bonnet competition yesterday.

The competition at the Key West Restaurant at the end of Bournemouth Pier was hosted by Anthony Bygraves and judges were television presenter Esther Rantzen, Bournemouth mayor Cllr Beryl Baxter and Celia Bygraves.

Ms Rantzen described the children’s bonnets as “absolutely superb” adding: “I love the event. Everyone went to a lot of trouble and the creativeness was absolutely gorgeous.

“I thought the children behaved impeccably and are likely all going to become top models,” she joked.

First prize of the use of the Pier Theatre for a school play went to Talbot House Prep School pupil Ruby May Pope, four, from Bournemouth for her Easter chicks hat.

Second prize of ten tickets for Pier Theatre summer shows went to Grace James, four, from Bournemouth for her bonnet decorated with Easter chicks and red flowers.

And third prize of a giant chocolate egg provided by the Royal Bath Hotel in Bournemouth went to six year old Jenny King, who wore a pink fluffy hat decorated with daffodils and a gold chocolate rabbit.

Special commendations were also awarded, including one to five year olds Hannah Povey, Oliver Parks and Mollie Lloyd who dressed up as the three Eggmigos and there were commendations for oldest and tallest entries.

The children paraded around the restaurant to the strains of Max Bygraves’ song ‘You’ve Got to Have a Hat’ watched by admiring parents and onlookers.

Organiser from Variety Club Wessex, Frances Cornelius, said: “We’ve never seen bonnets like them. They were absolutely fabulous.”

Anthony Bygraves said: “I thought they were fantastic and they were all really cute.”