AFTER the jubilation of England's Ashes triumph and the fury over the nation's footballing displays, a slightly lesser-known sport took centre stage yesterday - slug racing.

Finely-honed competitors lined up for a contest that was hardly a thrill-a-minute, but still carried an important message for the region's farmers.

The Race Against Slime was held at the Tillage 2005 event, in Croft, near Darlington.

Three slugs lumbered to the starting line and made their way around a custom-designed track in a time never likely to trouble any world records.

The competition was organised by the event sponsor, slug bait manufacturer De Sangosse.

Sales and marketing manager Jean Francois-Testut said: "We are keen to illustrate how important it is that farmers use a bait that is attractive enough to draw slugs away from vulnerable emerging crops."

The Tillage event also gave farmers the chance to see the best cultivation equipment in action and get advice for a new era in agriculture.