Organisers of a world-famous pie-eating contest have been forced to introduce tests for performance-enhancing drugs.

The World Pie Eating Championships in Wigan bans competitors from using gravy as a lubricant. But organisers say some competitors have been using cough medicine to help the pies slide down instead.  They outlawed the substance for this year's event - held earlier this week - and warned that security would be carrying out spot checks.

Pauline Westwood, the manager of Harry's bar, which hosts the competition, said: "It's the dry tickly cough linctus that's the secret weapon for some - it lubricates the throat.  "We allow them to have pints of water on the table but that's it. We've booked a couple of big lads as security who'll be frisking people looking for medicine or anything else that seems dodgy."  Tests have shown that the cough mixture can knock two seconds off the time it takes to eat a championship pie.

This year's winner had no need for illicit aids. First-time entrant Barry Rigby took just 43 seconds to finish his pie.  The father-of-two from Beech Hill, Wigan, only entered the competition on a whim, after he saw it advertised in his local paper.  "I was really surprised to win, I think my two boys will be very proud of me," said Mr Rigby, 36. "The pie tasted great. I am a big pie fan, I eat between 10 and 20 a week at least."

10 and 20 a week? Pah! That was a mid morning snack in my heyday!


It turned out that the gravy was laden with sedatives...

The original was here