FEARS that a North Yorkshire team would be obliterated in a welly wanging contest with Somerset were laid to rest when the services of British Shot Putt champion Scott Lincoln were secured.

The village of Welbury, near Northallerton took on Wellington in Somerset in an annual contest on Saturday afternoon, to see who could hurl their boots the furthest.

The North Yorkshire heats were staged in the grounds of the village's Duke of Wellington pub, watched over by an image of the pub’s namesake. After some local heats, Welbury’s top two players were selected to take on Somerset in a simultaneous contest.

The results of their top male and female throwers were phoned through to Somerset, as the two regions took it in turns to see who could throw the furthest.

There were fears from the Welbury team that they could fare poorly in the contest, after two of their star players were called away to bowl for the local cricket team on the day. But those fears proved unfounded.

Welbury had managed to place a ringer on to their team, in the shape of one of the world’s leading shot putters, Scott Lincoln. Scott lives just a few minutes away from the Welbury ground in Brompton, Northallerton.

He is currently ranked the top shot putter in Britain, after winning first the UK championships and then the Indoor British Championships earlier this year.

He managed to throw a Wellington boot more than the total length of the welly wanging course and over an adjoining wall at the Duke of Wellington pub.

Needless to say, Scott won the men’s Open Challenge and set a new welly wanging record of 40.0 metres, while Welbury’s Sarah Parsons won the women's contest with another record of 29.0 metres.

In the head-to-head with Wellington, using their set welly sizes and agreed common rules, Scott threw 37.0 metres to beat Robin Kirkpatrick in Somerset who threw 30.6 metres. Sarah threw 30.0 metres to beat Emma Thomas's 17.0 metres.

Organiser Mike O’Carroll said the contest was an enjoyable spectacle.

“Several records were smashed and we defeated Wellington in Somerset handsomely in both men's and women's contests," he said.

"Wellies flew over walls and up trees like never before.”