WILLY Wonka and his Oompa Loompa will be visiting the chocolate festival this year, which promises to be a relaxed and family friendly affair.

Last year’s Ramsbottom Chocolate Festival attracted record numbers of people, prompting fears that the event may have to be moved to another area because of safety concerns.

But Bury Council decided opted to allow it to go ahead in the town this weekend, with stalls more spread out than in previous years and using the market place and former police station land to reduce congestion in Bridge Street.

Road closures will be in place in the town centre on Saturday and Sunday.

Terri Fletcher, an organiser of the festival said: “This year we have made a real effort to make it more relaxed and it won’t be as crowded as it is spread out more.

“There’s a full range of chocolate themed products, perfect for chocoholics..”

To entertain the children there will be a fun truck with an indoor play area, crazy golf and a paintball shooting range.

And everyone will be able to indulge in a spread of chocolate options, from pizzas and cheese to bath bombs. There will be plenty of cocoa to go around.

Ramsbottom councillor Robert Hodkinson, said: “Hopefully we will have the same sort of numbers we had last year, with lots of happy smiling people enjoying the festival and hopefully we will get some good weather.”

Willy Wonka will be entertaining with a show on Sunday and walking around for photographs afterwards.

Visitors to the festival are encouraged to use a park and ride service set up at Woodhey High School. It will be £2 to park all day with a shuttle bus service which running throughout the weekend.

Road closures this weekend are as follows:

Bridge Street between Bolton Street and Crow Lane.

Square Street between Smithy Street and Bridge Street.

Silver Street closed from Bridge Street for 70m going south.

Union Street between Bridge Street and Prince Street.

Palatine Street between Bridge Street and King Street.

Prince Street between King Street and Union Street.

Bury Council is also enforcing temporary no waiting at any time restrictions in Crow Lane, Ramsbottom Lane and King Street.and traffic will flow the wrong way in Silver Street .

The diversion for Bridge Street runs via Crow lane, Factory Street and Ramsbottom Lane and for Union Street and Palatine Street the diversion runs via Railway Street and King Street.

Diversions will end at around 6pm on Sunday.