TWO dozen sausages were seen flying through the air in Harwich on Saturday morning.

But this was no food fight - it was the second annual sausage throwing competition, which drew a crowd of about 200 people.

Organised by the Tendring branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), the contest was expanded this year to include 12 entrants, each with two throws of a banger.

The record from last year of 85ft 6ins was smashed by the representative from Chapmans Butchers of Frinton, who hurled his hotdog an incredible 133ft and 6ins.

The competition was held between St Nicholas church and the Hanover public house in Church Street.

After the throwing contest invited to take part, there was a blind taste test, with four bangers based at three different town pubs.

People took part in a short tour around the pubs and scored each sausage, with the winner proving to be a recipe prepared by T Stobbs and Sons of Brightlingsea.

Others taking part on the day included Warnes Butchers of Parkeston, G Page Butchers of Ramsey, Wrights of Frinton, Frinton Road Butchers of Holland on Sea, St Osyth Butchers, Jones Butchers of Thorpe le Soken, Primrose Pork of Great Bromley, Ragmarsh Farm Shop of Manningtree and The Alma Inn of Harwich.

Tendring CAMRA’s Richard Oxborrow said: “It was very close - Richard Mitchell of Ragmarsh Farm Shop set the bar very high but the winners were Chapmans of Frinton. They smashed our previous year’s record.

“The taste test was quite a closely-fought competition, as it always is, and all the sausages were excellent.”