Blonde parade lifts spirits in Latvia

An army of 500 blondes put a smile back on the face of recession-weary Latvians by staging a festival last weekend designed to show that they really do have more fun.

Accompanied by an orchestra, the first-ever blonde parade featured women dressed in pink and white, some with lapdogs, in a charity fund-raising event.

Organisers hope this will become an annual event and said they were determined to bring positive energy to their country, expected to see its economy contract by 16 per cent this year.