Mechanic claims king conker crown

Mr Kellock adopted his "kinetic energy theory" to claim the "king conker" crown at the 44th World Conker Championship in Ashton, Northamptonshire.

He devised his strategy during his opening game and put it into practice in the next six rounds.

More than 600 men, women and children took part in the annual championship, which has raised more than £300,000 since it was launched by a group of Ashton villagers in the mid 1960s.

Competitors must follow strict "rules of engagement" and all conkers and laces are supplied by Ashton Conker Club.

For the second year running, the championship was sponsored by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, which aims to show that health and safety officers are not "killjoys."