BLUE Peter’s Helen Skelton was a guest at the 34th World Worm Charming Championship at Willaston Primary School.

The championship started at 2pm on Saturday, June 22, with participants in each of the 144 plots 3x3 metre plots challenged to collect as many worms as possible in 30 minutes.

The event was filmed by a BBC television crew with BBC Blue Peter presenter Helen Skelton 54 worms with the help of schoolchildren which included Lewis Almond, aged 8, from Monks Coppenhall Primary School in Crewe.

Lewis said, "I hope I'm on TV. It was very hard work. I caught three worms. It was brilliant to meet Helen."

Helen stayed behind after the competition to sign autographs and pose for photographs.

The footage is due to be broadcast on Blue Peter tonight, Thursday June 27 at 5:30pm.

Charming techniques included vibrating a garden fork, singing, playing a musical instrument and riding an adapted bicycle.

The Chief Wormer's trophy for youngest wormer was won by six-month old Ted Forster, who coincidentally is also the grandson of event organiser Mike Forster.

Worming clearly runs in the family, with last year's trophy won by a granddaughter of Mike.

Most Promising Newcomer Award with 178 worms was Louis Loft. The Heaviest Worm trophy was won by five year old Harry Price at an impressive 6.5g.

The Championship trophy for most worms was presented by Willaston Rose Queen Amy Smallman to eight year old Ellie-Jay Morris and granddad Steve Palmer with 303 worms on plot 98.

The championships also included representatives from Australia (163 worms), the Philippines (105), Holland (212), India (42), Sweden (90), and Thailand (91).

Events in the arena and playground area included a performance by the Willaston School Percussion Band, dancing by the X Academy of Performing Arts, singing by the Funky Choir and the Willaston School Junior Choir and gymnastics from the Wingate Centre.

The arena and adjacent areas were surrounded by charity stalls, an inflatable slide and food and drink outlets.

Rain stayed away all afternoon, with the event enjoyed by several hundred people.