Prizes for barmiest of armies

The world toe-wrestling champion, the elderly owner of a garden gnome sanctuary, the world's plank-walking champion, an obsessive French knitter and the world's black-pudding throwing champion today battled it out to be voted the Best British Eccentric 2001.

Britain has long treasured its eccentrics and, at the suitably peculiar award ceremony, a mock Oscar and the prize of a holiday abroad was awarded to the nation's quintessential oddball.

Lyndon Yorke, from Marlow, Bucks, was crowned the nation's ultimate eccentric at the ceremony hosted by Sir Norman Wisdom at Holland Park's the Orangery.

Mr Yorke is the latest in a long line of nutty British inventors. Among his many weird creations are the world's first rivergoing-Edwardian style tricycle, called Tritania, and a car made from wickerwork.

Accepting his prize, Mr Yorke said: "I would like to accept this on behalf of my neighbours, who have put up with all the cacophony coming from my garden shed over the past years. None of them knew what I was doing .. . but now they will."

Mr Yorke accepted his award in a safari suit and pith helmet but, surprisingly, was one of the more sober dressers.

There was a pirate, a pixie, a man in a monopoly-board suit and Captain Beany (aka Barry Kirk, 47), dressed head to toe in orange. Mr Kirk has a valid passport as his alter-ego - its photo shows him grinning wildly with his face painted orange.