HUNDREDS of walkers braved one of the coldest May bank holidays on record to support an annual event.

Jane's Walk is an international walking event commemorating the life and ideas of Jane Jacobs.

Jane was an author and activist best known for her influential book The Death and Life of Great American Cities, which argued urban renewal did not respect the needs of inhabitants

Her life is remembered across the world each year with Jane’s Walk, a series of walking tours through towns and cities.

Colchester was the first in this country to embrace the idea back in 2011 and once again the town went all out with a number of walks and a mini film festival.

In total 900 people joined a record 27 walks over the weekend.

The weekend's mini film festival, back for a second year, also saw 220 people turn out.

Rowena Macaulay, of Walk Colchester, said: “This year’s festival has been a joy to be part of, despite the cold and has had a very distinctive spirit.

"I believe right now many people are thinking in a more engaged way about our environment, partly on account of pressing housing and homelessness issues, and partly in response to local development plans and controversies.

"Beyond this there is also the great pleasure of watching, year in year out, the growing body of Jane’s Walkers who have embraced the festival, spread news of it gently and incrementally by word of mouth, made new friendships via it, and taken Jacobs to their hearts.

"She has definitely found herself a spiritual home here in Colchester."

Walk Colchester has been instrumental in setting up the Colchester Orbital, a walk/cycle route around the circumference of the town, linking the town's green spaces.

The Orbital featured in two of this year’s events – one of which was a cycle ride.