Teddy bears came along to a picnic at one of Weymouth's most treasured green spots, along with families and the new mayor of the borough.

Friends of Lodmoor Park, celebrating its tenth anniversary, held the third annual 'PIC-a-book-NIC' at the park on Sunday, with families invited to come along to share a picnic on the green space while their children read, or were read to.

"We want to keep the park in the public mind," said Dinah Ellis of the Friends of Lodmoor Park committee. "Our role is all the more important when the council is so strapped for money."

Also present at the event were the Mayor's Bears; raising money for the mayor's chosen charities, children were set the task of finding 17 knitted bears among Lodmoor's trees and undergrowth, with prizes for those who managed to find them all.

Also present at the event were volunteers from the Mayor's Charities, Joy Stanley and Julie Hursthouse, who had organised a teddy bear hunt with prizes. "It's gone really well," Joy said. "The children have loved it - their little eyes have sparkled."

"Sometimes it takes them 20 minutes to find the 17 teddies, sometimes it takes them five," added Julie. "But they all had a good time."

The knitted teddy bears were donated by the 'Let's Make It' community craft group; a similar event will be held at Radipole Park Gardens on Saturday, June 16, between 11 am and 3 pm.

In one of her first public events since taking office last week, the mayor of Weymouth and Portland, Gill Taylor, attended to show her support for the fundraising in the name of the Mayor's Charities - domestic violence shelter the Welfare Committee and homeless charity the Lantern Trust.

"I'd like to thank all the people from Friends of Lodmoor for their help and support," Cllr Taylor said, adding that to further boost awareness of the charities, she was soliciting photos of the teddies from wherever their owners were. "They could be on holiday or just sitting on the sofa at home," she said.

Friends of Lodmoor Park will be holding a similar event - entitled Jam/Sandwich - for families on Sunday, July 29, from midday.