THERE was only ever going to be one conclusion when landlord Andrew Lindsay laid on his favourite rustic sport in Upper Seagry – a hell of a mess in the car park.

Mr Lindsay, 57, has championed the traditional pastime of egg catching ever since he became aware of it when he was a young boy.

As an experienced publican and restauranteur he initiated the game at a Wiltshire hostelry that he once ran, The Carriers in Stockton, between Salisbury and Warminster.

“They still doing it there now,” he said.

Running a restaurant in France for 12 years, he introduced it to British ex-pats over there.

And now, four months after taking over the New Inn at Upper Seagry, he is at it again.

The pub’s first egg catching tournament over the Easter Weekend saw 20 teams of two each throw eggs at each other from an increasing distance.

They started off standing opposite one another passing the egg in a civilised manner.

On Mr Lindsay’s instruction, however, they moved further and further apart.

The aim, of course, was not to break the egg. And all went well until the inevitable happened with a succession of crunches and splats as couples ended up hurling eggs to each other more than 20 metres away.

“It was hilarious – it always is,” said Mr Lindsay who runs the village pub with partner Lorraine Morrish.

One team tried to cheat by using a rubber egg but were eventually rumbled and fined.

The occasion saw some impressive catches produced by some of the more acrobatic contenders before the shattered remnants of several dozen eggs – donated by local firm Garden Fresh Produce – lay strewn across the car park.

With firkins of beer donated to the proceedings by two breweries, Moles and The Flying Monk, the event raised around £400 for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance.

This took the amount accrued at The New Inn for the life-saving service in recent months to between £1,200 and £1,300.

“Everyone had a great day – and we’ll be breaking more eggs next Easter,” added Mr Lindsay.