A regional daily reporter is gaining a reputation as a “champion chomper” after taking on the challenge of eating a metre-long sausage in the fastest time possible.

Grimsby Telegraph reporter James Dunn took on the Metre Eater challenge at local venue The Barge where contestants competed to eat their sausage in the fastest time.

James came second out of eight contestants in his heat with a time of two minutes and 34 seconds while the winner managed one-and-a-half minutes.

It is his third such Man vs Food challenge in recent months after he attempted a monster meal at Smokey Joe’s in Louth in May – 2lbs of beef, chilli, cheese and a double portion of fries – then the Surface of the Sun chicken wings challenge at The Barge the next day.

Writing about his latest challenge, he said he wanted to take part in the sausage-eating contest after not quite succeeding at the first two eating contests.

His article said: “There were eight brave competitors on the bench and we each had a coiled sausage in front of us and chef Nick started the clock.

“This time I was on form. I had a bit of a slow start, struggling to cut the sausage at first. It seemed like dexterity might be my downfall.

“But then, I accelerated like a carnivorous supercar. I started ploughing through it and after a minute I was more than halfway through.

“I looked to my left and thought to myself, ‘I have the smallest sausage of all the men here’, but then on my right was Steve ‘Mr Strong’ Smith (nickname on account of his T-shirt), who’s remainder looked like a tiny cocktail sausage compared to my Bratwurst. And he seemed to be speeding up.

“I watched Steve polish off what was left of his sausage with ease and began to lose heart.

“Then I looked to my right and saw the remaining six competitors struggling and I picked myself up like the winner I know I am.

“In the end, I finished an admirable second in my heat, although my two minutes and 34 seconds was a little outside Steve Smith’s one-and-a-half minutes flat.”

James is already planning his next eating feat, which will see him attempt to eat sixteen portions of chocolate fudge cake next month.