HEAVYWEIGHTS from the North West strongman scene wowed visitors to Darwen as they battled it out to be crowned the borough’s strongest man.

Around 100 spectators looked on as 25 entrants went head-to-head in three categories in search of the title of Blackburn with Darwen’s Strongest Man They flipped giant tyres, lifted huge Atlas stones and pulled vans uphill in Darwen market square on Saturday, with more than £500 raised for East Lancashire Hospice.

Contract manager Matthew Heys, from Colne, won the open category to go with the Merseyside title he secured last year.

Organiser Hana Wallbank, whose husband Carl runs the Mill Gym in Branch Road, Lower Darwen, said she was delighted with this year’s event.

She said: “This is the third year we’ve done it and it was an absolutely fantastic day.

“Carl has been on the strongman scene for a while so we have lots of contacts and we had not only people from the Mill Gym competing, but people from Burnley, Wigan, Bolton and across Lancashire.

“It was good to see so many people in the town centre and the weather was very kind to us. The standard was really good and we tried to push the guys as much as possible.”

The competition comprised five events; a press medley, a last man standing deadlift, the van pull, the tyre flip and the one-arm dumbbell press.

The van pull saw East Lancashire Hospice event fundraiser Denise Gee – Mrs Wallbank’s mum – join in the fun by getting behind the wheel of the Peugeot Partner.

After his victory, Mr Heys, 33, said: “It was obviously really nice to win. I had Shane Burns pushing me all the way.

“I train religiously in Great Harwood every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday or Sunday, sometimes Wednesday too. I’ve got an elite north of England event coming up on May 25 so I’m looking forward to that now.”

The under-90kg category was won by 17-year-old Jordan Hyatt, from Blackburn, while Darren Spratt, from Wigan, took the novice section.

Mrs Wallbank, 29, said: “We chose the hospice as the charity to benefit because, at some point in our lives, there is always someone you know who is going to need it .”