One of the most prestigious prizes for the Annual special Limousin Day show was won by Paul Bradley, a farmer from Moor Green Farm in Whitbeck, near Bootle.

Mr Bradley won the prize for the Champion Store Heifer with his 22-month-old pure bred Limousin and received a trophy from The North West Limousin Cattle Breeders Association. The prize money he received was donated to the premature baby unit at the Royal Preston Hospital.

Mr Bradley said: "The heifer that I won with today has now been sold to a butcher in Barrow. It is really great to see butchers still buying locally and I sell a lot of beef cattle to Mason S & Son butchers, who are based on Rawlinson Street in Barrow. They are who bought her today. She is in perfect condition and will make really healthy meat.

"It is difficult working in beef farming, we used to get around £380 per kilo but now it's down to £317. Apparently there is a lot of Polish beef coming through now, it's cheaper but it won't be as fresh and won't be reared with the same quality of care so that's why people should always check that their meat is local or British."

The heifer was bought by Jimmy Fisher who attends the auctions for Steve Mason, a Barrow-based butcher. He said: "I am a retired butcher myself, I've been coming to the Ulverston auction mart on this site since it opened and I attended the previous one before that. 

"I come here every week to look at cattle for Mason & Sons butchers in Barrow. There really aren't many other butchers in Barrow who source their meat here in Ulverston, only Masons and one other that I know have. It is so important to support the local farmers and buy meat that has been hand reared here in South Cumbria."