Enthusiasts are saying tanks a lot after a major celebration hosted by a Dorset military museum said to be the biggest yet.

The Tank Museum’s annual Tankfest event, held in the centenary year of the Bovington attraction attracted 24,000 visitors over three days.

Fans travelled from as far away as Japan and Australia to experience the world’s best historic moving armoured vehicle display, presented by World of Tanks.

The museum’s Visitor Experience Manager Rosanna Dean said: “The Tank Museum is constantly innovating the Tankfest programme to give visitors a fresh experience every year. This year we introduced Tank TV so tank fans could watch the arena action on big screens, a viewing area dedicated to photography enthusiasts, and all three days featured a jam-packed programme of exciting moving armour.”

Tankfest showcased an unparalleled line-up of historic and modern running tanks from the museum’s collection, guest armour, and the British Army in a display put together by curator David Willey to celebrate the Tank Museum’s 100th birthday.

Friday visitors were also able to enjoy a visit from the RAF Red Arrows, who thrilled the crowds with a diamond formation flypast.

Sadly, one of this year’s special guests, the Nashorn - a Second World War German tank destroyer - was unable to make it to Bovington. Due to circumstances 'beyond the control' of either the Friends of the Nashorn or the Tank Museum, the vehicle was prevented from crossing the Channel, being stopped at Dunkirk.

Visitors could explore the museum collection itself, including the new Tanks for the Memories exhibition, which presents the tank as a cultural icon through the mediums of TV, media, models, games, and film; the World of Tanks gaming zone; expert lectures; as well as the living history encampments and the traders village.

Tickets for next year's event are now available at tankfest.com