A GREAT Sankey couple have proved their sausages are among the best British bangers after becoming a finalist in the British Sausage Week competition.

Liam Tickle and Rebecca Scott who run Snoutwood Trotters were shortlisted in the 'innovative' category for their free range pork and black pudding breakfast sausage.

There were more than 500 entries at The Monro in Liverpool and the Laburnum Lane pork farm was in the top three in the north west in its category.

Liam and Rebecca were presented with their certificate from British Sausage Week’s celebrity ambassador Phil Vickery, former England rugby captain and Celebrity Masterchef 2011 winner.

Rebecca said: "We feel extremely proud that the quality of our produce has been recognised on both a regional and national level. This is the first competition that we have ever entered and we were encouraged to do so by our fantastic loyal customers."

Snoutwood Trotters was established by chance when Rebecca bought Liam a pair of pet pigs for his 21st birthday in 2011.

What started as a present became a business when the couple began to breed their own litters of Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs, which are outdoor reared.

Rebecca, a business and finance student at Manchester Metropolitan University and Liam, a mobile engineer, now sell sausages fortnightly in between their other work and study commitments.