Dozens take part in Nantwich worm charming championships

Hundreds of people descended on a Cheshire village for the annual Worm Charming World Championships.

Charmers come from across the globe to Willaston near Nantwich, to try and encourage worms to come out of the soil.

The event has been held in the village for more than 40 years, and has seen a world record.

This year's winners were the Jones and Weaver families who said they were "very proud" to take home the trophy.

According to the International Federation of Charming Worms and Allied Pastimes (IFCWAP), Willaston has been the venue for the annual World Championships since 1980 when the Worm Charming event was first devised by John Bailey who was the deputy headmaster of Willaston County Primary School.

The current world record is held by 10-year-old Sophie Smith, who charmed 567 worms out of the ground at the 2009 event.

IFCWAP president, Gordon Farr, former headmaster of Willaston School, said: "I think this is the nature of the British public - they are eccentric by nature, but they don't always show it, but every now and again at an event like this it comes to light."

Callum, a member of the winning team, said he had been worm charming since he was five.

"I feel very happy because a lot of hard work and dedication over the years [goes in] to get this," he said.

He said his technique was to use a garden spade and garden fork to make "vibrations" in the earth to encourage the worms up.

But it was not a record-breaking year and, in total, he said, they raised 48 worms.

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