IT is one of the biggest events in the Borders and attracts hundreds of visitors to the area.

Peebles was a poorer place without it last year after drainage works meant its home at Hay Lodge Park was unavailable.

This year it returned bigger and better than ever thanks to the commitment of a small but dedicated band of volunteers.

However, a public plea for more help through the Peeblesshire News fell on deaf ears.

And now organisers have pointed out they need the support of the town to ensure the Games continued success.

Bob Abbot, secretary of the Peebles Highland Games committee, said: “In spite of the excellent coverage in the paper, not one person outwith the committee turned up to help us on Friday afternoon or early on Saturday.

“Thanks to Willie Porteous, our gates/parking convener, a good number of his regular helpers volunteered to man the gates and park cars.

“It would appear that people are happy to turn up and enjoy the games but very few are prepared to lift a finger to help us, other than the small band of regulars.” Mr Porteous, the Peebles Cornet in 1980, said: “The average age group of our volunteers is getting older. The young ones will sometimes cancel without giving it a thought.

“I usually have enough people but this year has been a bit awkward because this weekend there are a lot of mothers taking their children to university for the new term and year. You never think of that when you start organising the event.

“My children Gary and Karen are very Peebles minded and both have come and helped me out this weekend.

“We have toyed with the idea of running a ceilidh here, we have looked at many ideas but at the end of the day most fall down because of the number of volunteers that we could get to set up and strip down at the end of the day. It is a very few that are here to the end.”