World Pea Throwing Championships

Organisers of this year's World Pea Throwing Championships in Lewes say their organic peas are more aerodynamic than ever before.

They claim the peas, grown without chemicals,are bigger and therefore travel further.

Tony Risso-Gill,of the Little Big Food Company,which is supplying the peas for this year's competition,said "During our tests we discovered the optimum pea throwing temperature was minus two centigrade,based on careful defrosting of the pea under controlled conditions.

"We believe non-organic peas can't live up to the organic pea because of their small size and traces of artificial residue which affect their aerodynamics." Peas will be checked on the day of the competition and anyone caught trying to cheat will be disqualified.

Banned ways to enhance peas include painting them with nail varnish or injecting them with liquid to make them heavier.

Claire Murray,who hosts the event at her pub,The Lewes Arms,said "It was an idea some of my regulars came up with and we just decided to go with it.

"Competitors have to throw three peas and it is the best of three which is counted.The organic peas look set to give even the record holder a run for his money." The record is currently held by Lewes resident Mike Deacon,who threw a pea 44 metres last year.