Facial hair fan prepares for national competition

A Staffordshire man is preparing to co-host the British Beard and Moustache Championships.

Matt Wall from Leek initially competed in the natural beard category, before moving to freestyle, where beards are styled with curls and spikes, to give him a greater chance of victory.

The championships began in Brighton in 2012, and this year are being staged in Plymouth, centred around a maritime theme.

Mr Wall, who has been involved in the competition for a decade, said he was "terrified" when he first took part and saw others doing performances.

"Going up on stage with about fifty other guys with beards and moustaches.. people were doing proper little performances, they had outfits," he said.

There are a wide range of categories, from full and partial beard to handmade, where competitors use different materials to make their facial hair, rather than grow it.

That category is popular with female competitors, said Mr Wall.

"The creations they come up with are absolutely fantastic, I've seen everything from popcorn flowing into a bowl to themed Christmas and Halloween beards."

In the beard and moustache worlds, you have to make the most of what you have got, added the event co-host.

He believes all men want to grow a beard, but there are three reasons why they do not - either their partner is not keen, their job will not allow it, or they cannot get past the itchy stage of beard growth.

"But now we've got products, we brush our beards, we take more care, they have become more acceptable," he said.

The 2024 British Beard & Moustache Championships are being held in Plymouth on 12 October.

Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.