A nine-year-old from south Norfolk has been crowned a champion at a national poultry show.

Charlie English, from Aslacton, was named junior handler of the year at the National Poultry Show 2014 held in Telford.

It was the nine-year-old's first time on the national stage. The show attracts nearly 7,000 entries from Britain, Europe and the world.

Charlie impressed judges with the presentation of his two-year-old Pekin Bantam chicken, Sarah, and his knowledge of the breed. The Aslacton primary school pupil said: 'I'm very proud because I have never entered a national competition before.

'It's a lot of effort because you need to make the bird completely clean and clip their feet and beak. Sarah means a lot to me and she is a really good chicken.'

His mother, Jane English, 40, who was brought up around poultry herself, said chicken handling was beneficial for children as it helped them learn about responsibility,

She said: 'You need to get people like Charlie into it because they are the next generation. It's a good hobby for children and it is accessible for people.

'Chickens are not that expensive and they don't need a massive amount of space.

'It also gives children a sense of responsibility as they need to be cleaned and looked after.'

Have you got an animal story? Email rebecca.murphy@archant.co.uk