Frankie the Tiger and Simon Griffiths celebrate their victories in women's and men's tournaments

Frankie Hooper and Simon Griffiths are sitting on golden thrones which have conkers on the top of them. They are both wearing crowns and are holding silver trophies.

Frankie the Tiger has been crowned the winner of this year's World Conker Championships.

More than 250 conker combatants, including entrants from Japan, Holland and Germany, headed to Southwick in Northamptonshire for Sunday's event.

Frankie the Tiger, aka Frankie Hooper, 28, from Oundle, clinched the overall title after beating the men's winner, Simon Griffiths, in a nail-biting, nut-shattering showdown.

Hooper, who did battle in a tiger costume, said: "I am feeling pretty ecstatic... I came into it this morning for a chilled fun day with my friends, and now I am a world champion for the females, it is amazing."

Runner-up Griffiths, 35, from Stamford, said: "My wife is never going to hear the end of it... I am going to change my name I think."

Tense conker action as Hooper, nicknamed Frankie the Tiger, and Griffiths do battle

Frankie Hooper is wearing a tiger costume and is standing on the left. She is holding a conker in her right hand. Simon Griffiths is standing beside her, on the right, and is holding a conker.

Past championships had been rocked by allegations of cheating amid reports a metal conker had been swapped for a real one.

Gary Ward, from Milton Keynes, arrived dressed as a tree and said he had been doing "boxing" training in preparation.

Despite hopes of being crowned this year's King Conker, he was eliminated in his first round by an opponent dressed as a sheep.

"I don't know what to say... it's just outrageous," he joked. "I definitely need to come back next year."

Gary Ward is standing next to a tree trunk which is on the left. He is wearing a tree costume and an orange bib which has the number 17 written on it. He is wearing black framed glasses and a green fleeced hood.

Women's winner Frankie Hooper was among a group of competitors who paused their duels to replicate Noah's Ark

A large group of people are standing in a line. They are all wearing animal costumes and wearing different coloured bibs which have World Conker Championships written on it.

Outside the Shuckburgh Arms, competitors went head-to-head with conkers threaded on strings, aiming to smash their opponent's nut.

Partners Amy Smart and Will Fern, originally from Northamptonshire, had travelled from London for the championships, dressed as chickens.

Amy Smart and Will Fern are standing next to each other and are both holding pieces of string. They are wearing white and red chicken outfits. Smart, who is on the left, is wearing a blue bib, and Fern, on the right, is wearing a yellow bib.

The pair became rivals when they were drawn against each other in the second round.

Smart, 28, hoped to settle an old score, adding: "He beat me last year in the first round, so I'm looking for revenge this year."

Fern, 29, who grew up in Southwick, added: "The furthest I've ever got was the semi-finals and I lost."

Will Fern and Amy Smart are standing on a platform and are both wearing chicken costumes. Fern, who is on the left, is holding a conker, which is attached to a piece of string. Smart, who is on the right, is holding a conker with both hands.

Celebrity competitors included broadcaster Mark Pougatch and politician Penny Mordaunt, who competed against each other

Mark Pougatch is on the left and is holding a conker attached to a piece of string. He has short brown hair and is wearing a light grey coat and denim trousers. Penny Mordaunt is on the left and is holding a conker in the air. She has shoulder length blonde hair and is wearing a black jumper.

Nana Hirayama, from Japan, lives in Leamington Spa, in Warwickshire, and has taken part in the event 12 times.

"It's a good old tradition in England... it's very unique, interesting, and I'm so happy that I can actually take part in it," she said.

Nana Hirayama has brown hair in a ponytail. She is wearing a white shirt with black polka dots and a navy blazer. She has a string around her neck which has several conkers on it.

The 28-year-old said the event was not her first conker rodeo, as she had competed in the Peckham Conker Championships three years ago.

"I obviously haven't practiced enough," she said after being defeated in her first round.

Paula Bendiek has short blonde hair and is wearing brown sunglasses and a multicoloured fleeced jacket. Bendiek is holding a conker up towards the camera. Several people are sitting and standing in the distance.

Bendiek is standing on the right and is holding a piece of string which has a conker attached to it. On the left is Orlando who is wearing a blue cloak and a yellow bib. He has several necklaces made from conkers around his neck and is holding a conker on a string beside him.

Orlando Bridgeman, 26, from Northumberland, who had dressed as William the Conkeror, said he had subjected himself to a "rigorous training regime" in preparation for battle.

"This is only going to spur on more training, more focus and more dedication ready for next year," he said.

Orlando Bridgeman is wearing a blue cloak, a black hat and sunglasses. He has several necklaces made of conkers around his neck and he is looking to the left.

A tongue-in-cheek steel conker detector was introduced last year and it featured again this year

People are lining up to go through a conker security gate which has a sign over the entrance which says steel conker detector.

Matt Cross stood on short green grass in a park, holding up a conker on a piece of black string, smiling at the camera. He has short brown hair, brown facial hair and is wearing a navy hoodie. Trees are behind him and the sky is cloudy.

A woman and a man sitting on chairs that say Queen Conker and King Conker across the back. They are both holding silver trophies, wearing crowns and smiling. She has long grey hair and is wearing glasses, a brown coat and blue jeans. He has a dark beard and is wearing a green jumper and blue jeans.

A man with a greying heard wearing sunglasses and a hat shaped like a green conker shell