TWO leading East Lancashire butchers have bought a selection of champion animals at Skipton Auction Mart for their customers' festive tables.

The Cropper Family Butchers and Deli in Blackburn Road, Accrington and D and A Gregory and Sons Butchers in St James's Square in Bacup were both active at its 15th annual Christmas primestock show and sale day on Sunday.

Croppers, run by father and daughter George Cropper and Clare Mellin, purchased the supreme champion Beltex lambs at a sale-topping £380 per head.

They invested a further £270 to bag the same day’s supreme champion in the standalone show for prime lamb carcases as well as making several other purchases;

Bacup butcher Phil Gregory bought the prime cattle supreme champion paying £2,777 for the 618kg Limousin-cross steer.

All Cropper and Gregory purchases will be prepared specially for the Christmas trade at their respective shops.

Croppers’ lambs will be sold alongside prime beef reared on Clare and husband John Mellin’s own farm in Long Preston, with prime lambs reared on Gregory’s own farm in nearby Weir also on the menu in Bacup.