WINNING an annual scarecrow competition has turned out to be an international affair for two families in a County Durham dale.

After hearing that their scarecrow of comedy duo Wallace and Gromit had taken first place in the contest in Upper Weardale, they emailed images of it to relatives in Australia.

Farmer John Walton and his wife, Barbara, and their neighbours, electrician Myles Graham and his wife, Rita, and their children, who live at Westgate, created the scarecrow from an old BMX bike, with a dustbin converted into the sidecar.

Even 70-year-old grandmother Evelyn Walton weighed in by threading needles needed to sew together Wallace and Gromit.

"It took us a week to put the scarecrow together," said Mrs Graham. "We spent hours in charity shops looking for suitable items. We wanted people in the upper dale to have a good laugh - and I think we have achieved that.

"What's made it that bit special is that we have both been able to send pictures of the scarecrow to family members who now live in Australia."

In second place was a Pussy Cat scarecrow entered by Janet Dalton, of St John's Chapel and The Pirates, by Eileen Stoner, of Cowshill.

The village with the best entries was Westgate.