Solicitor eats up all the pies

Mr Gunner described the pies as "very dry"

A solicitor has become a mince pie eating champion after winning a speed eating contest in Somerset.

Denzil Gunner, 30, took 10 minutes to devour 41 minces pies - missing out on the world record by five pies.

Mr Gunner, from Notting Hill, London, won the £1,000 prize at the annual pie eating competition at Wookey Hole.

Sonya Thomas, 36, from the US, holds the record for wolfing down 46 pies in 10 minutes in 2006. She weighed less than eight stone at the time.

'Felt ill'

Denzil Gunner said: "My technique was just to cram as many in as possible and drink as much water as I could because they are very dry.

"I didn't really think about it, I just kept on eating until they said 'stop' and then I realised how ill I felt.

"You can't really taste them but I'm glad it's over a month to Christmas, when I have to eat another one."

This year 29 pie-eaters took part in the annual contest, which is becoming a popular event on the speed-eating competition circuit.

Mr Gunner took part as part of a year of personal challenges to mark his 30th birthday and hopes to raise money for charity.