STARS of Doctor Who, Harry Potter and Red Dwarf will visit York this weekend, for the annual York Unleashed comic-con.

The fourth annual event will be held at York Racecourse from midday on Sunday, and organisers say it will be the biggest and best yet, with guests including sixth and eighth Doctors Colin Baker and Paul McGann, Miriam Margoyles and David Bradley from the Harry Potter franchise, and Hattie Hayridge from Red Dwarf booked to appear.

Lee Hall, of Middlesbrough-based Unleashed Events, holds similar conventions around the country each year, but says York is usually the biggest, with visitor numbers doubling from just under 2,000 in 2015 to almost 4,000 in 2016, and about 5,000 last year.

Lee said: "This time we are taking over every floor of the racecourse as there are so many exciting things to see and do on the day.

"This year at York Unleashed it is the battle of the thrones as not only do we have the Emperor's throne from Star Wars, we also have The Iron Throne from Game Of Thrones."

Thousands of movie and comic fans attend in costume each year, from a simple outfit to elaborate alien costumes - with under and over-14s costume competitions being held throughout the day - and the number of traders, as well as visitors is also expected to increase.

Lee said: "There will be geeky traders with tons of geeky toys, comics, collectables, art, jewellery, gaming and so much more, there is something for everyone.

"If you feel that you need training in lightsaber skills then don't worry as we have our Jedi Training School on hand to show you the power of the force."

Huge Transformers Bumblebee and Optimus Prime will be on hand to meet fans, as will Daisy, a 12-foot tall dinosaur, while droids from The R2D2 Builders Club UK and a couple of Daleks will be relegated to the ground floor - as they are notoriously bad with stairs - while Knight Rider's KITT and other cars and vehicles from cult television and movies will be on display outside the racecourse.

More information is available at facebook.com/YorkUnleashed and tickets are available on the door.