FINAL figures for the Great Yorkshire Show indicate that the popularity of the event is as strong as ever.

A total of 135,026 people passed through the gates during the three-day agricultural extravaganza in Harrogate – missing the all-time record, set in 2006, by a tiny margin just 85.

Good weather, top-class competitive entries and some of the finest livestock in the country are said to have contributed to the huge turnout.

The show’s new director, Charles Mills said: “It’s been a wonderful three days and a superb showcase for the farming industry in what has been a significant week in terms of the new government.

“It’s very clear that both farmers and the public love the Great Yorkshire Show and plans are already underway for the show in 2017.”

Dates for next year’s Great Yorkshire Show, which will be the 159th, are July 11 to 13, 2017.