THAT'S ping pong magic!

Max Colins is just one of the dozens of good sports who have been taking part in Oxford City Council's fourth annual Ping! festival of table tennis this summer.

Nine-year-old Max took to the tables yesterday at Rose Hill Community Centre, which was hosting a special 'anything but a bat' day, encouraging people to play with mobile phones or books instead of bats, though he sensibly chose the traditional instrument.

This year's Ping! festival launched in May and runs to the end of August.

The city council's sports team have left ping pong balls and bats on outdoor tables around the city and are also running special one-off sessions.

This year for the first time they've also secured indoor space at Oxford University Rugby Club on Iffley Road, where they are inviting players to take on their 'Ping Pong Robot' Percy.

Festival co-ordinator Margaret Stevens said: "We've been challenging people to see how many balls they can return to Percy in one minute and the sessions are really beginning to get popular."

See oxford.gov.uk for full details.