YET another of Saddam Hussein's body doubles has been caught on camera - this time sunning himself in a deckchair in a North Yorkshire village.

The former Iraqi leader's latest lookalike has taken up temporary residence on the lawn of a home in a quiet cul-de-sac in Sawley, near Ripon.

Saddam, in military uniform and sporting that famous, though seemingly a bit trimmed, moustache, will be taking part in the village's annual scarecrow contest on the village green this Sunday.

A record number of scarecrows have been entered for the competition, which has been running for ten years.

Martin Kirbitson is the social secretary of the village hall committee that organises the fair and scarecrow contest.

He said: "The scarecrows were started to promote the fair but they have become a show in their own right.

"Standards for the scarecrows seem to rise every year. The ingenuity and effort that goes into some of the creations is really quite remarkable."

Scarecrow personalities on display include England captain David Beckham, and a policeman with a radar gun stands guard at the entrance to the village. At the opposite end of the main street is a bewigged, fully-robed judge ready to dispense instant justice for drivers breaking the 30mph limit.

A rock climber has scaled 12ft up the side of the village hall and a spring lamb, made from rusty old springs, can be seen "leaping" in the sunshine.

Visitors to the village are being asked to vote for their favourites on special forms, and prizes will be given to the top creators on Sunday.