THE warm weather saw visitor numbers soar at the Great Yorkshire Show, with the fourth highest attendance in the event's history on Thursday.

Organisers of the 145th show said 127,127 visitors came to Harrogate over the three days of the region's leading agricultural event.

The all time record is 131,075, in 1979.

Nigel Pulling, chief executive of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, which organises the event, said: "Last year, we had an excellent attendance figure of 125,793 and this year's numbers are a strong indication that the recovery following the traumas of foot-and-mouth is well under way."

On Thursday, outgoing show president John Henderson was given a rousing send-off as he handed over to successor Richard Howard-Vyse.