Adam Mills felt it was his patriotic duty to grow the biggest and best beard he could when he heard the international beard festival was coming to England for the first time.

Two years on he's looking forward to marching in costume through the streets of Brighton with 250 other contestants on Saturday and Sunday. Mr Mills, 44, from Fairfield, Cholsey, has entered the full beard and styled moustache category.

His wife Lisa and four children aged between nine and 19 are not bristling with excitement.

Mrs Mills, pictured grooming her husband's beard, said: "Meal times are not always pleasant! It's a bit like the people in Roald Dahl's book The Twits who have birds nesting in the beard and food everywhere."

Mr Mills said: "The next one is in two years' time in Alaska and I'm considering entering that, but Lisa's not too keen on me growing the beard for another two years."

Mrs Mills said: "I married him when he had a beard so I've no problem with it, but I'd like this beard to be trimmed back quite a lot."