Best-dressed town crier's success

Jon Bartholomew won awards for best dress and best content

The town crier of Hastings, East Sussex, has beaten off international competition to win two awards.

Jon Bartholomew won prizes for being the best-dressed crier and having the best content of a cry in a competition held in Chester.

He fought off rivals from Australia and the Netherlands, Hastings Council said.

The rules of the tradition state that a cry has to be more than 100 words, start with "oyez, oyez, oyez", and end with "God save the Queen".

Mr Bartholomew, currently ranked 10th in the world in the Guild of Town Criers, said: "People often ask us why town criers do what they do and it is because we love our towns."

The Loyal Company of Town Criers British Championships were held at the weekend.