Why did people race up a hill for cheese?

Scores of competitors have lined up for an unusual sporting challenge, which saw them run up Dorset's Gold Hill carrying a 23kg (51lb) cheese-style truckle.

The Gold Hill Cheese Race in Shaftesbury was founded in 2012 and sees up to 100 people race up the steep cobbled street, known to many as "Hovis Hill" after a 1970s TV ad.

The road is only 541ft (165m) long but its 17% gradient, cobbled surface and the added challenge of carrying the weight mean the contest is not for the faint-hearted.

Organisers said 12,000 people attended the event.

Competitors often wear fancy dress for the wacky race, with inflatable dinosaurs and flamenco dancers among those who have taken part previously.

The event was founded by cheese expert and World Cheese Awards lead judge Charlie Turnbull and is part of the Shaftesbury Food Festival, which is run by volunteers from the Shaftesbury Chamber of Commerce.

Racers previously carried cheese up the hill in the shape of 23kg truckles which were production cast-offs, but they got very slippery.

Since 2015, the races have used aerated concrete cheese-style truckles, which weigh 23kg for men and 18kg for women.

They are wrapped in cheesecloth to keep the "rustic look and feel", organisers said, and all winners win real cheese.