CROWDS of tourists and shoppers thronged York throughout Easter - with these farm animals in Parliament Street proving a star attraction.

The children’s petting zoo included pygmy goats and their adorable kids, guinea pigs, a miniature donkey, a Shetland pony, alpacas, lambs, chickens and rabbits; all from a family run farm in Leeds.

There were free children’s activities galore, co-ordinated by Make It York in association with Little Vikings, as the York Easter Family Festival returned for a second year.

York’s Chocolate Festival has also taken place over the four days, featuring a chocolate market, demonstrations and workshops.

The Little Vikings Easter Activity Tent in Parliament Street involved face painting, Easter crafts, drama classes, storytelling, dance classes, forest school classes, computer coding and a sand art activity.

Families could also follow a new Chocolate Easter Trail, to support the Lord Mayor’s charities.

National and regional publicity about the re-opening of Jorvik Viking Centre after the 2015 floods caused a surge of interest in York, helping to make it an exceptionally busy Easter, said Visit York.

There were huge queues outside the Viking Centre and also other attractions such as the National Railway Museum and the York Dungeon.