A POLICE team are gearing up to compete in this weekend’s Bradford Dragonboat Festival.

A squad of 12 volunteers, made up of police officers and staff from across the Bradford district, will tackle the 200-metre-long course on the River Aire at Roberts Park, Saltaire, this Saturday, during the second of three days of competition.

They will battle it out against 40 other teams, including representatives from West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, Bradford Council, three Army teams, four squads from Santander and even the Telegraph & Argus’s News Cruise squad.

Chief Superintendent Scott Bisset, Bradford District Commander, captain of the Crew in Blue, the police’s team, said: “We have got a fantastic team of volunteers.

“We are all really looking forward to taking part. We did it last year and we hope to improve this year.

“We have got together a team that really care about the district and it will be great to raise money for a good cause.

“It also helps people to see the police in a different light too. It’s a fun thing for us to do.”

A youth competition will get the festival under way on Friday with its youth championship, where teams of youngsters aged 11 to 19 taking to the water.

This will be followed by a main festival day on Saturday, each featuring 16 paddlers and one drummer, taking part in two rounds of heats. They will be racing against the clock, with the three fastest teams battling it out for the title in the day’s final. Crowds will be treated to entertainment including music, during the event.

Saturday’s races will also be shown live on big screens in both Roberts Park and City Park.

Places are still available for the corporate championship held on Sunday, May 7. This is open to teams of both residents and businesses from across the district. Teams of 17 people in each boat. For more information, or to sign up to take part on Sunday, go to bradforddragonboatfestival.co.uk.

The event will take place over three days for the first time this year.

Meanwhile, a member of a leading dance music group will be performing at the festival.

Leeroy Thornhill, previously keyboardist in the Prodigy who had hits in the 1990s including Breathe and Firestarter, will take to the stage at the festival on Sunday at 4.30pm.

He will be performing with his new band, Smash Hi-Fi at the event.