A young British boy has blasted his way to being a world champion pea shooter.

Stellan Smith, aged nine, had his heart set on winning the annual pea-shooting contest in Witcham, Cambs, and practised twice weekly for a year.

The one-day World pea-shooting championship has run in the sleepy village for 52 years, and is thought to be the only one of its kind in the world.

Determined Stellan even made his own pea shooter, with a gun-like wooden base and the tube from copper plumbers pipe.

He blasted his way to victory, hitting three bulls-eyes on the target, and stealing the final by just one point, said journalist mum Piper Terrett, 49.

Dad Douglas Smith, 47, a product manager, is also obsessed with the competition, and was sad to miss his son's performance because he was showing his sweetpeas at a local horticultural event.

Stellan won the 'petit pois' category, where 8 to 11 year olds compete to see who can score the highest hitting a darts-like target over a ten-foot distance.

He went home from the event, on Saturday last Saturday, proud owner of a trophy.

Entrants pay 50p for a bag of peas and a plastic shooter, but judges allowed Stellan to use his home-made kit because the tube was regulation length.

He also took with him a special sieve he made from a metal grate in a wooden frame to measure and select the right-sized peas for success.

Proud Piper, from Norfolk, said: "Honestly I'm overwhelmed with pride."

"He's such a good shot and so determined."

"Hilariously his pea shooter does look a little like a sawn-off shot gun!"

"It's such a lovely day out: the people are friendly and it's great fun!"

The family attended the competition for the first time this year but hooked Stellan is determined to return and defend his title.

An adult competitor used a pea shooter made of Lego, and one of the competitions was resolved by a 'pea-off' Piper said.

A couple had come all the way to Germany for the quirky competition, she added.