A FAMILY of four in Oxfordshire has been chosen from hundreds of entries as one of the Top Twenty Funniest Families across the country in a national joke competition.

Oliver and Lara Patrick, and their children Mary and Harrison, who live in Abingdon, were selected by the comic magazine Beano as part of a competition launched over a month ago to lift spirits, 'tickle funny-bones' and help keep families entertained at home during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Patrick family were selected because they impressed the magazine's judges with their Funniest Family Song and Dance Entry.

They were one of hundreds of hopeful families with excellent jokes who entered by sharing their homemade funny videos.

Mr Patrick said: "My son, daughter, wife and I had great fun making our entry for the competition, singing and dancing.

"Having fun together has really helped us all get through lockdown.

"We would all be so excited to win and would like to encourage everyone to get voting."

A team of Beano gag writers, led by head judge Romesh Ranganathan, selected the shortlist, and are now asking the British public to vote online for the final winner.

The winning family will be brought to life in a one-off strip in the comic, as well as receiving an official Beano trophy, a year’s subscription for the family and friends, and a Nintendo Switch.

Voting closes on Sunday, so to make the Patrick family the funniest in the UK visit www.beano.com/funfan