World's top sword swallower comes to town

Here is the world's foremost sword swallower in action - and aiming to convince Britons that his hobby is fun.

Dan Meyer, who can swallow eight swords at once, wants to prove the link between science and eating 30-inch-long objects.

After performing at the Wellcome Collection in Euston, pictured, he will be at Imperial College in Kensington on Thursday.

The 51-year-old lives on a ranch in Alabama with wife Lisa and 40 Arabian horses.

It took him three years to learn the skill, practising 12 times a day - he has cut his throat twice and punctured his stomach while trying to swallow five swords at once.

But he said the thrill overcame the fear: "Sometimes [it] feels cold going down. The sword nudges the heart aside and the blade leans against the heart. I'm passionate about preserving this ancient dying art."

Mr Meyer is part of the Ig Nobel UK Tour during National Science and Engineering Week.

He said: "I want to show the serious science behind magic. Sword-swallowing involves suppressing reflexes, such as the gag reflex and the peristalsis reflex - the body's urge to push food into the stomach."