'Only gay in the village' becomes carnival queen

For one sleepy West country town, it is an unchanging tradition that stretches back decades.

As autumn falls and the days shorten, crowds gather for the annual Blackberry carnival and to cheer the young carnival queen.



But this year, eyebrows have been raised among town traditionalists by an alternative choice of queen - a gay teenage boy sporting a tiara and tight lilac dress.

David Birch, 15, paraded before thousands of people in the quiet town of Axbridge standing in the back of a yellow sports car and flanked by Roman legionnaries.

He was chosen to be queen after auditioning in front of the town Mayor alongside three female hopefuls at the church fete earlier this year.