What gives camels the hump? Getting stuck in motorway traffic for seven hours!

That is what happened when Chilham Castle hosted a camel racing day yesterday.

The domestic creatures were stuck on board camel boxes for seven hours as they travelled to the event from Stratford-upon-Avon.

The delays caused by the bridge collapse near junction 4 of the motorway only added to the gridlock on the roads.

The event was organised by John Hare, founder of the Wild Camel Protection Foundation charity which looks after the critically endangered animals in China and Mongolia.

He said: “You know what the roads have been like, and the camels were held up. Obviously seven hours in a box is difficult for any animal. The roadworks were horrendous.

“Nonetheless it was a great day and a great success which has raised a substantial amount for the charity. We were visited by the Mongolian ambassador and there was Mongolian wrestling, along with 30 different trade stalls.

“All the scheduled races took place, and afterwards all the children got to have a ride on the camels, which kept going until 7pm.”

The domestic camels live in Britain, and Mr Hare organises the events to support his charity’s work in Asia.

In particular funds will go towards the winter feed, which involves transporting hay into the desert to a breeding centre in Mongolia.

Mr Hare added: “The winter feed is very important for the camels. There are only 900 left in the wild, but when we think of endangered species we only tend to think of rhino, pandas or elephants, but wild camels are just as endangered.”

Anyone who wishes to find out more about the foundation can visit the website and donate online.