THOUSANDS of people descended on Dorset last weekend to see one of the world's most formidable tanks in action at a sold-out event.

More than 4,500 visitors attended The Tank Museum’s Tiger Day event in Bovington on April 23 to see the world’s only running Tiger I tank in action.

Tiger 131 runs only twice a year, on Tiger Day in April and September, and always attracts huge crowds.

Museum curator David Willey said: “A significant amount of work goes into keeping the Tiger running and it is extremely fragile and liable to faults.

Bournemouth Echo: Tiger 131 on display at The Tank Museum’s Tiger Day event on April 23, 2022Tiger 131 on display at The Tank Museum’s Tiger Day event on April 23, 2022

“During the war it took 10 hours of maintenance for every hour the Tiger ran – now it takes the museum staff and engineers an astonishing 200 hours.”

The fearsome Tiger tank was a formidable weapon introduced by the Nazis during the Second World War.

A highlight of the day was an hour-long display which saw Tiger 131 take to the arena alongside its Axis and Allied contemporaries, including the Sherman tank which played ‘Fury’ in the box office hit of the same name starring Brad Pitt.