Hundreds of redheads from around the world have gathered in the southern Dutch town of Tilburg for an annual festival celebrating their amber locks.

Natural redheads from countries including the UK, Israel, Germany, Italy and New Zealand made the trip for the three-day event, which organisers Redhead Days say is all about “connection, pride and recognition”.

The festival was founded in 2005 by Bart Rouwenhorst who, rather surprisingly, is blond.

The amateur painter found himself drawn to the aesthetic qualities of redheads, so advertised for 15 ginger models to paint – only to be deluged with 150 responses.

They were all photographed – but when many of those who did not get selected voiced their disappointment, Mr Rouwenhorst decided to make an annual event of it.

In 2013, Redhead Days festival-goers made it into the Guinness Book of World Records when 1,672 people got together in the largest recorded gathering of people with natural red hair.

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