I'll chase the cheese - champion

​Cheese rolling champion Chris Anderson said he will chase the cheese at Cooper’s Hill this year - even if the event is cancelled.

Last week, organisers announced they were forced to cancel the 200-year-old event due to health and safety fears.

But Chris, who has won the contest six times in the last seven years, said he will risk life and limb and take part even if it meant holding an unauthorised event in the May Bank Holiday.

The 22-year-old from Trent Road, Brockworth said: “Cheese rolling has always taken part since I was young and I just want it to keep going.

“There are hundreds of members on Facebook that say they will be going and there is a rugby team that have said they will be catchers at the bottom of the hill.

 “The lady that makes the cheeses said we can have one, and on May 31 I will be going up there and doing it whatever happens.”

About 15,000 people from all over the world flock to the famous hill near Brockworth, to watch the event every May Bank Holiday.

Madcap contestants risked life and limb by throwing themselves down the 100ft drop in an attempt to catch the 8lb Double Gloucester cheese wheel.

Chris, who has a seven-month-old baby with girlfriend Sophie Bace, said that although the event is cancelled this year he thinks it won’t be scrapped for good.

He said: “It would be terrible if they didn’t have it - but I don’t think it will be cancelled permanently.

 “There are so many people that want it to go-ahead that I think they will find a way of doing it next year or hopefully this year.

“It is such an amazing rush, I couldn’t imagine it not happening.”

Last night 6,560 people had joined the Facebook group to ‘bring back the cheese rolling’.