BUTCHER Robin Skinner is a sizzling success after his prize sausages picked up a string of awards.

Robin, owner of Greenmount Butchers in Holcombe Road, triumphed at the North West Regional Meat Product Awards, held in Preston, winning four of the top spots for his sausages and bacon.

The gold awards were presented for his traditional pork sausages, pork and leek sausages, sausages with cranberry and apple and smoked dry cure bacon, beating competition from 37 other butchers displaying more than 230 products.

The products were inspected for texture, colour and taste with marks deducted for split skins and irregular shapes.

Robin (39) said: "The entry I was most pleased with was the bacon which only lost a couple of marks, one for being a slightly different shape but I have no control over the shape of the pig! I am always trying to improve the products so if get criticism I am quite happy to chat with the judges and look for new ideas. It is always constructive criticism, they tell you where you have gone wrong and I always want to try and learn for next year."