Lords of the rings!

Staff at the theme park faced up to the tasks of building the world’s tallest doughnut tower and eating a jam doughnut in less than 11 seconds as part of their summertime games event yesterday.

The challenge marks the beginning of a week of world record attempts at the park to kick off the summer holidays in style.

Wannabe record-breakers will take part in a series of wacky world record attempts, including throwing ice cream into a cone from a distance of four metres, and catching as many water balloons as possible in one minute.

Event organiser Judi Miles said: “As part of our summer time games we wanted to have four days of world record attempts, so we went for the most fun, involving doughnuts, hotdogs and ice cream.

“This is the first time we have ever done anything like this and it’s all about bringingfamily fun to the park.

“The visitors are definitely enjoying it and the feedback has been great.

“It’s a fun and unique way to kick off the summer holidays and give people a good time.”

Pleasure Beach staff member Jason Taylor took part in the doughnut-eating record attempt.

He said: “It’s definitely harder than you think. You don’t expect a doughnut to be that dry and it just fills your whole mouth.

“It was still really good fun and I can’t wait to get stuck in and give the rest of them a go.”

Should Jason succeed in breaking the record, he will join Guinness’ famous book of world records alongside other gourmet stars.

The record for world’s tallest doughnut pyramid is held by members of 20th Century Fox and Capital Radio, who constructed the 110.5cm tower of 1,764 ring doughnuts to celebrate the premier of The Simpsons Movie in 2007.

The record for the largest ever box of doughnuts is held by doughnut company Krispy Kreme, which produced a box weighing a whopping 135kg in 2009.

American-born Patrick Bertoletti holds the record for the most jam doughnuts eaten in one minute without licking the lips – three – while Englishmen Lup Fun Yau and Steve McHugh share the three-minute record, both having chomped down six doughnuts each.

Guinness World Record judicator Anna Orford said: “Eating records are really hard to beat because we have professional eaters and they specialise in that. They’re like the Usain Bolt of eating.”