WHAT could have brought Dick Dastardly, Snow White, human-sized honey bees and the Wild West together?

The answer is that they were all weird and wacky costumes worn by students at this weekend's triumphant university Rag Parade.

University of York students brought a splash of colour to grey skies on Saturday, as hundreds of them turned out for this year's procession, which was raising cash for charity.

Organisers claimed this year's event was bigger and better than ever, after organisers switched the procession route to the centre of York, beginning from Clifford's Tower.

In previous years, the parade has taken place along a different part of the city, including Lord Mayor's Walk and the railway station.

The university's student radio station - named Best Student Station this year by Radio 1 - put in an appearance for the first time too, with a live broadcast stage in Parliament Street, where undergraduate choirs and dance acts entertained the crowd of about 300 during the afternoon.

Members of each college dressed up along a different theme to take part in the parade, with the prize for the best dressed going to Langwith College, where students earned their stripes by dressing as bees.

Jaimal Shah, a university graduate in charge of Rag, said the procession had raised nearly £2,500 for the Lord Mayor of York's charities .

Updated: 10:12 Monday, February 13, 2006