TWO county firms have emerged victorious from the battle of the bangers after scooping first and second prize respectively for their sausages in a regional competition.

Checketts of Ombersley, a family-run butcher of Main Road, Ombersley, tantalised the judges' tastebuds at the Heart of England fine foods regional contest with its Borley Pork sausage.

The final of the competition was held at The Mailbox in Birmingham on Thursday and Checketts' Borley Pork sausage scooped first prize in the breakfast sausage category.

Meanwhile Teme Vale Victuallers, based in Cotheridge, took second prize in the specialist sausage category with its Worcester Spicy Tomato sausage.

It came after the two firms won their respective categories in the Worcestershire final held in Kidderminster earlier this month.

Both firms were up against stiff competition from other finalists from Herefordshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Warwickshire and Birmingham.

Tony Checketts, part of the management team at Checketts, said the firm now planned to re-name its winning banger the Superborley in recognition of its success.

The Ombersley butchers is now proudly displaying the engraved glass trophy it won for its efforts in the shop window. Mr Checketts added: "We were delighted - delighted for our firm, for the village and for the county.

"We hoped we'd win it because we thought it was a really super sausage."

Neither butchers is a stranger to success, with Checketts having recently competed against supermarkets Sainsbury's and Waitrose in a national competition in London.

Teme Vale previously won the West Midlands Tastiest Sausage title - once with its Hereford Cider sausage and again with a Malvern Herb recipe.