DOUGH "nut" Jack Maurer rose to the occasion when he attempted to set a world record for bun-knotting.

And with his sponsored attempt to knot 2001 buns in just 50 minutes, Jack , who runs the Swiss Cottage Patisserie, Prestwich, also managed to raise some dough for his favourite charities.

Egged on by friends and family, including his wife Marlene, Jack managed to beat his target easily, completing the feat in just 34 minutes, 54 seconds.

A Salford bakery director, a local JP and Inspector David Jones of Prestwich and Whitefield Township Police were all on hand to lend an air of authority to the attempt, for which no record is currently held.

Mayor of Bury, Councillor Paul Nesbit,also went along to witness the effort on Wednesday (July 11). As proof of the pudding, photographic and video evidence have now been whisked off to Guiness Book of Records officials. Jack said: "My fingers were tingling for a while afterwards, but I'll recover. I t was all very enjoyable.

"We're hoping that it will go in record books for next year, but obviously they've got to confirm it with our adjudicators and decide what goes in.

"When we asked about setting a record, they said they had no category for bun knotting. I'm hoping that some other bakers will take me up on the challenge."

Through sponsorship Jack has already collected £5,500 and is waiting for more cash to roll in, which will be split evenly between Christie's Against Cancer appeal and Pendlebury Children's Hospital.

Jack (54), of Parklands, Whitefield, started his Rectory Lane business from scratch 23 years ago. He said: "I've got a particular knack of making these products and have always been very quick at doing them, so I thought it would be a fun opportunity for raising money."

Included in the dough mix were 140 pounds of flour, 6.5 gallons of water, 5lbs of liquid egg and 5lbs pounds of sugar.

Buns were placed on trays to be baked and sold at the Christie Hospital's centenary celebrations, which take place on Saturday at the hospital.