Last century some startling tales of genetic engineering and crop tampering began to emerge from a small Cumbrian village called Wasdale.

The peace of the idyllic Lake District community was shattered by sightings of flying dogs which were the result of a disturbing experiment during which a foxhound was mated with a Golden Eagle.

Golden Eagle. Cross with fox, and stand well back.

Turnips were so huge that the dalesfolk had to quarry for them and the remains were converted into sheds to house their sheep.

More than 100 years later even stranger stories are still coming from the valley which boasts England's highest peak (Scafell Pike), deepest lake (Wastwater) and smallest church (Wasdale Head Church).

Tales have lately reached people's ears of a couple who hatched an ostrich from an egg by sitting on it, raised the feathered offspring as their own son and sent it to university where it became a rugby legend playing on the wing.

Nelson Mandela and Pope John Paul meet, on dry land

This month the country was astonished to learn that a man sailed a condemned dredger fitted with boilers from the Royal Yacht Britannia around the world, took the Pope water skiing around Venice on Easter Sunday, and even had time to meet President Clinton and Nelson Mandela, before coming home to be knighted by the Queen.

It comes as no surprise that all these stories came from the lips of various people who held the title of "The World's Biggest Liar".

Bill Clinton prepares himself to admit that he did not tell the whole truth

The latest holder of the coveted accolade is Jimmy Mason from Whitehaven in Cumbria. The first was the landlord of the Huntsman's Inn in Wasdale, Will Ritson, who was crowned in 1872.

Born in 1808, Will used to entertain guests and visitors to his ale house with tall tales which became legendary throughout the country. Legend has it that Will won his first title by declaring: "I cannot tell a lie!"

Jimmy Mason, 54, a retired school caretaker, is the latest in a long line of dalesfolk to practice the art of telling tall stories. He sometimes goes by the name of Charles Bronson.

Brian McKinnon hit the headlines when he went back to school aged 32, lying about his age

The competition became an annual event for several years from 1872 before eventually dying out. It was restored by Copeland Borough Council in 1974 and has attracted competitors from Australia and Canada.

Entrants gather at the Bridge Inn in Wasdale and have between 2 and 5 minutes to convince the panel of judges that their tales are the tallest. Anyone who wins three years in succession is excluded from the following year's competition. Members of the legal community and politicians are barred - having an unfair advantage.

Former title holder, Howard Christie is now the landlord of the Wasdale Head Inn, which was known as the Huntsman's Inn when Will Ritson was the resident landlord.

Howard said: "The lies we tell are essentially stories meant for entertainment not for deceiving people.

"The people up here are part of a dying breed - real characters who love to spin a yarn. The local dialect and personalities are an essential part of the competition. It would be hard to hold it anywhere else than this part of the world."