A MASHAM butcher swept the board at this year's Northallerton and District Butchers' Association annual sausage competition.

Mr Richard Welford, of Beaver's Butchers and the Masham Sausage Shop, won first prize in both the pork and beef sausage categories.

He has won the pork category three times in the last five years and the beef prize four times in the last six years.

He has also had success at the Great Yorkshire Millennium Porkpie, Sausage and Black Pudding Competition at Bradford this week, where he gained a diploma for being in the top ten in the speciality and thin pork classes.

"I came second down in Birmingham earlier this year for thick pork sausages in the National Butchers Meat and Traders Federation competition as well, so it's been a good year," he said.

"I split the company into Beavers Butchers and the Masham Sausage Shop in April, because we specialise in sausages and supply Betty's Tearooms, Lewis and Coopers and go as far down as Huddersfield and as far north as Barnard Castle.

"As a rule we have 20 flavours for sale everyday in our Beavers Butchers shops in Masham and Leyburn, hand made by traditional methods at the Masham Sausage Shop."

The Northallerton and District Butchers' Association competition was judged by Mrs Pam Wilson and Mrs Anne Bradley from Aiskew WI and Miss Alison Lewis from the D&S Times.

Mr Paul Lowther, from Great Ayton, came second in both the pork and beef categories and J B Cockburn and Sons, from Bedale, came third in the pork competition with A V Fawcett and Sons, from Ingleby Greenhow, taking third prize in the beef category.