TOP arm wrestlers from across the world descended on a Blackburn pub car park for the Arm Wars UK invitational tournament at the weekend.

Locals at the Oak Tree pub on Livesey Branch Road were astonished to see competitors from as far away as America and Canada battling it out on the trailer of an articulated truck for more than £3,000 worth of trophies.

US National Champion Robert Redden from Louisiana was the star attraction, but wrestlers from France, Belgium and Germany also grappled with some of England's top stars.

Redden lost out to the UK's own light heavy weight champ Nigel Cawthorn from Harrogate.

Among the more colourful entrants were 54-year-old Popeye Alan Hartley, Lee 'The Bulldog' Holland, and Bad News Robert Brown who stands over 7ft tall and weighs 23st.

Event organiser Neil Pickup of Darwen, who is ranked second in the world in the 80 kilos class, stepped up two weight divisions for exhibition purposes and won the contest.

Neil's sister Elaine, who is herself a European champion, was also in action as the cream of the female arm wrestling world battled it out.

Almost 300 people packed into the car park to watch the contests.

"It was a fantastic weekend with some amazing wars going on between the top ranking arm wrestlers," said Neil.

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