Although Britain’s “elf and safety” killjoys are famed for party pooping, remarkably, some of the country’s silliest and most dangerous festivals remain.

You can still quaff stingers at the World Nettle Eating Championships, or climb a greasy pole in Cumbria at the Egremont Crab Fair.

And the reason this year’s Cheese Rolling Contest in Gloucestershire was cancelled isn’t because of the broken limbs suffered by competitors, but because the event is too popular.

In 2009 the competition attracted 15,000 to the slopes of Cooper’s Hill, a sliver of countryside that can only accommodate 5,000 people.

So it was cancelled in 2010... and organisers decided to charge spectators £20 to watch this year’s event. But this sparked outcry and led to the event being cancelled again.

But fear not, there are plenty of similarly quirky events taking place across Blighty, including two in Dorset...

• Dorset Knob Throwing THE Dorset Knob Throwing event took place in Cattistock last Sunday.

First held three years ago to raise charity money, the event now draws 4,000 people from all over the country.

Its popularity has earned it a place in the final 10 of the Where Else But England Awards, which finds the country’s quirkiest events.

Participants get three knobs (hard biscuits) and must throw them underarm as far as they can.

This year’s winning gent was Dave Phillips, whilst Hannah Blatch snatched the ladies title.

However, neither could beat the current record of 26.10m.

• Bog Snorkelling Championship, mid-Wales Every August, crazy competitors don snorkels and battle it out in a dense peat bog.

Ascribed ‘the grubbiest watersport on the calendar’, participants attempt to be the fastest to snorkel through the 60-yard bog.

It has attracted participants from as far afield as Australia.

• World Nettle Eating Championships, Dorset It was male bravado that spawned the Nettle Eating Championships.

Alex Williams, a regular at the Bottle Inn,Marsh- wood, said that if anyone could find a nettle longer than 15ft 6 inches he’d eat it.

So when some tourists found one of 16ft, Alex kept his word. Now it’s an annual event.

Last June over 1,500 people watched Sam Cunningham win the men’s contest by eating 74ft of nettles, and Laura Revell of Portland scoop the ladies title with 40ft.

• Egremont Crab Fair, Cumbria Face gurning, speed pipe smoking and greasy pole climbing? It must be the Egremont Crab Fair. Estab- lished in 1267, the fair is held every September. The most famous contest is gurning although the greasy pole climb is popular as is the race where competitors smoke a pipe of tobacco in the quickest time.

• The Flaming Tar Barrels of Ottery St Mary, Devon The residents of Ottery St Mary celebrate Bonfire Night by running through spectators with flaming tar barrels hoisted on their shoulders.

This eccentric festival attracts 20,000 spectators every year and incredibly hasn’t been watered down by health and safety killjoys.

However, there are regular calls for it to be banned.