SUCCESS was sweet for children who kept a new year tradition alive in an East Riding market town.

Dozens of excited youngsters went scrambling through Driffield's shopping streets in search of festive treats.

Fortune favoured the brave when boys and girls fought it out on the freezing pavements for gifts thrown to them by friendly shopkeepers.

The youngsters filled bags with money, sweets, fruit, and other gifts in the knuckle-scraping scramble yesterday.

Scrambling is a unique centuries-old custom that involves good-natured begging for festive goodies outside shops and other business premises.

The bellowing voice of Driffield town crier Brian Fairfield heralded the start of the custom, which is believed to have been held for 250 years.

He gave the excited scramblers a quick lesson on how to recite an ancient verse before leading them on the festive trail along the main shopping street.

Mr Fairfield said: "I'm delighted the youngsters and traders are keeping it going and there were more scramblers out than last year.

"We believe scrambling is unique to Driffield, and it seems to be attracting a lot of attention after almost dying out."

Young scrambler David Foster, 10, of Southfield Close, Driffield, attended with his mum Julie, eight-year-old brother Daniel, and five-year-old sister Esther.

He said: "It is really good fun and something to do during the holiday.

"People from the shops were very generous and I did well."

Town mayor Tony Cooper, who gave the scramblers a civic send-off by throwing the first coins, said he was delighted with the turnout.

He said: "Scrambling almost died out in the 1990s until the town council saved the custom by organising it properly.

"It was a big deal when I was a lad because families were not as well off and it was a chance to get some extra treats."

Police, town councillors and parents, were on hand to control traffic and ensure a safe and trouble-free event.