You gotta catch 'em all at Doncaster's Pokemon day

Pokemon picnic at Lakeside, Doncaster on July 30. Picture by Free Press reader, Steve Walker.

Scores of enthusiasts collectively covered 1,100 miles, took 2.2 million steps and burned 110,000 calories - the equivalent of 258 donuts - at the popular event.

And a spokesman for organisers Doncaster Council said similar fun days could be in store.

“Our first official Pokemon event was a fantastic success, with over 600 visitors flocking to Lakeside for a great day in the sunshine,” he said.

“The feedback we have had from those who attended has been very encouraging, and we will certainly be thinking about how we can incorporate Pokemon Go into other future events.”

During the event, on Saturday, players descended on Lakeside to search for the cuddly virtual reality critters.

The game’s slogan is ‘gotta catch ’em all’.

The council’s chief executive, Jo Miller, is among those playing the game.

She tweeted a picture of her first monster find, adding: “You’ve got me at it!”

The council spokesman added: “Doncaster’s Lakeside has become known as one of the best places in the area for Pokemon hunting, thanks to the new PokemonGo app.

“On Saturday we hosted a special ‘Pokemon and picnic’ event for all local trainers, including a walk round the fabulous lake and a chance to catch some rare Water Pokemon.”

The free event got under way at 11am at Doncaster Lakeside.

Neil Taylor, who helps to run a new Doncaster Pokemon Go Facebook page, said he was not surprised by the popularity of the game in the borough.

Neil, aged 36, said: “At first I thought it would be a nostalgia thing with a lot of people downloading the game who were fans of Pokemon back in the 1990s but as a standalone game I’ve been blown away by it.

“For many people this has tapped into a fantasy of what it would be like if Pokemon were real and inhabited our world and that concept alone has carried the game.

“It’s nice to see people out and about - me and my wife have never taken the dog on so many walks!”

Neil continued: “My kids are into Minecraft and this is the only thing getting them away from wanting to play that - and it helps that it’s been sunny.”