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BBC News Saturday, 22 May 2010 18:03 UK

World custard pie championship takes place in Kent

The custard pie championship has become an annual event in Coxheath Fifty competitors have been clowning about in the 43rd world custard pie championships in Kent. Teams at the event, in the village of Coxheath near Maidstone, were given maximum points for throwing a pie squarely into their opponents' faces. Judges also awarded up to five points for the most original and amusing throwing techniques. This year's champions were the High Pressure Cleaning team who beat last year's winners Coxheath in the final. The championships were started in 1967 by Councillor Mike FitzGerald to help raise funds to build a village hall. The idea for the charity event came from a Charlie Chaplin comedy, Behind The Screen. Mr FitzGerald said it has proved such a success teams had entered from as far afield as Germany and South Africa. He said: "I think people just like to give vent to their feelings and have a lot of fun. "A lot of people come from office jobs and are pleased to get outside. "You get bankers and people who work in building societies and they just like to let go. "They dress up for it as well so people don't know who they are." The pies do not actually contain custard, but are made using a secret recipe

Just desserts for UK pie throwers Crystal Schroder of the Granny Smith team from Essex takes cover during the annual World Custard Pie Championship in Coxheath, Kent Saturday May 22 2010 Competitors are gearing up to compete in the World Custard Pie Throwing Championships. Despite often being associated with comedy characters such as Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy, the competition has a strict set of rules which entrants must adhere to. Competitors working in teams are awarded points for the parts of their rivals bodies' they manage to hit, with the maximum of six points being given for getting them squarely in the face. Judges can also award up to five points for the most original and amusing throwing techniques. The event, in Maidstone, Kent, begins at 2.45pm on Saturday with a fancy dress competition, with points also being given for the best costumes. The championships have been taking place in the county since 1967. The pies do not actually containing custard but are made using a secret recipe. Press Association _____________________________________________________________________________________________________