Teacher comes sixth in seagull screeching champs

A geography teacher from Kent has come sixth in the European Seagull Screeching Championship.

Sam Vasudaven, from Rochester, was among 70 participants competing in the annual contest in the Belgian coastal town, ​De Panne, on Sunday.

With his wife as his vocal coach, Vasudaven placed sixth in the adult category out of 23 others, calling the event "wholesome" and "fantastic".

"My kids think I'm a celebrity now, it's brilliant," he told BBC Radio Kent's Breakfast Show.

The championship was created by Claude Willaert, who said the friendly competition aimed to change the public perception of gulls, often dubbed as chip stealers.

Vasudaven said as a teacher he was able to study the birds when standing on duty on the Year 7 playground, calling them "fantastic creatures".

He said: "They know when it's the end of break time and lunch time, and they swoop down and they clean up any crumbs that have been left behind.

"They're a lot more clever than we give them credit for."

The championship also includes children's and group categories alongside individual entries.

Last year's children's category was won by Cooper from Chesterfield, making it the 11-year-old's second win in a row.

Vasudaven said next year he would try to enter the competition with his wife and kids as a "flock".

He said: "It was really good fun.

"You've got to work hard, you've got to add something positive to society, but you've also got to have fun as well at the same time."

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