Northerners are famed for their love of the mushy pea, but an Ulverston woman has proved that hard is best when it comes to pea propulsion.

Roberta Woodhouse has just set a new women's record lobbing the nation's favourite green vegetable no less than 28.5m at the World Pea Throwing Championships.

The former captain of the Ulverston Victoria High School rounders team demonstrated the fully transferable skills of the school field favourite with her champion throw.

"I never thought I could break a world record in my life, I'm very proud of myself," said the full-time mum before revealing her winning tactics.

"I was quite precise in the way I picked my pea. I got a good hard frozen one from the bottom of the bowl being handed around, the mushy ones aren't as aerodynamic.

"I had watched a few girls throw before me but they weren't very good throwers. With being captain of the school rounders team I thought I could be in with a chance. I took a good run up and launched it good and high.

"When they said it was a new world record everyone started jumping up and down it was a great feeling."

Competitors came from as far as South Africa and France for the seventh annual event at the Lewes Arms Pub, in Lewes, Sussex.

The championship was started after a regular punter dreamed up the idea and harangued the landlady into staging the contest. It has since proved a massive hit and was once featured on Channel Four's Big Breakfast. However, the Guinness Book of World Records has yet to sanction an official pea-throwing record.

This has not put off Ms Woodhouse, who lives with her husband Marc, a graphic designer, and sons Harry, seven, and Charlie, three, in Brighton.

She is already planning a return trip next year to Lewes to defend her title and is thinking of writing to Birds Eye for sponsorship.

Ms Woodhouse is also hoping to create something of a Woodhouse dynasty in the sport by training her sons to lob peas although only on the sports field, not at the dinner table.

She hopes her family will be able to try out their new found skills at traditional Lake District shows should they fancy giving veg throwing a go.

"It's great family fun. I wouldn't mind having a go at lobbing Brussel sprouts instead or maybe they could have Cumberland sausage wanging. Let the training commence!"