World Conker Championships faces cheating claims after men’s winner found with metal nut

Competitors are going bonkers about conkers after a cheating row erupted at an international event.

The World Conker Championships is surrounded by cheating allegations after David Jakins, known as King Conker, was found with a steel chestnut in his pocket.

The 82-year-old conkered the men's competition during the tournament at The Shuckburgh Arms in Southwick near Oundle on Sunday (October 13).

The veteran player recorded a number of victories in which he destroyed the other player's conker with one hit.

But there are claims it was nut fair play and that King Conker swapped his real conker for a metal one.

As the competition’s top judge, David was responsible for drilling and inserting strings into some of the 2,000 chestnuts used.

Alastair Johnson-Ferguson, who lost to him in the final, told the Telegraph he suspected “foul play” had occurred when his conker “disintegrated in one hit”.

But the men’s champion has denied using the counterfeit conker in the tournament, and said he only had it with him for humour value.

Kelci Banschbach, 34, from Indianapolis in Indiana, defeated him in the final and became the first American to win the competition.

A spokesperson for the World Conker Championships has been contacted for more information.