The north of England's traditional link with a certain small furry animal has been reinforced - with a record-breaking ferret race.

The North of England ferret racing championship was held in Blyth, Northumberland on Sunday.

The event, which attracted more than 200 animals from all over the UK, saw three-year-old Megan retain her title as the world's fastest ferret.

Megan's owner Wyn Renner, 65, from Bellford, Northumberland, said the secret might be in her diet, which included raw mince and eggs

Plastic tubes

Megan had set the previous Guinness world record time of 11.46 seconds for the 10-metre track through plastic tubes at the 2001 championships, organised by the Blyth-based Ferret Trust.

On Sunday she ran a time of 7.19secs.

Mrs Renner, 65, who lives with her husband George, 70, said the swift ferret's secret was a diet of raw mince and eggs.

The race was part of the annual Blyth summer fair.