IT may have been a wet few weeks, but summer is about to get a lot hotter.

Oxfordshire Chilli Festival is returning to Abingdon this month, along with its infamous chilli-eating challenge.

This year's spicy celebration will take over the town centre on Saturday, August 19, from 10am.

Alongside 25 stalls from local chilli growers, the hottest restaurants and spice merchants, there will be live music and other entertainments until 5pm – and all free.

But the main attraction, as always, will be the notorious chilli-chomping contest on the main stage at 4pm.

In this masochistic ritual, brave (or stupid) fire-eaters will start with a harmless jalapeño and work their way up through a searing sequence to the hottest pepper in the world – the terrifying Carolina Reaper.

Challengers are each given a pint of milk and a sick bag, but if they so much as touch either – or spit out a morsel – it's instant disqualification.

Anyone rash enough to enter is asked to contribute £10, and this year's festival is raising money for the Huntington's Disease Association and Oxfordshire Mind.

The third annual festival is once again organised by West Hanney foodie Dawn Massam, with help from her peppery pals.