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By day, Ivor Staples is a mild-mannered car valeter - until he turns into “The Gripper” who is “mad, bad and dangerous to know.”

But only fellow arm wrestlers of a certain age need be alarmed.

For grandfather Ivor, 64, has just been crowned winner of the first ever Old Timers’ Arm Wrestling Championships live on Christian O’Connell’s breakfast show on Absolute Radio.

He decided to flex his muscles after the DJ appealed for strong men coming up to retirement age to take part in the championships.

Ivor travelled from his home in Staplestreet, Hernhill, to the Absolute studios in London and in an epic battle of north versus south, he fought off stiff competition from Bernard “Bert Crud” Criddle, Pete “The Growler” Gregory and “Jockstrap” John Chapman.

See Ivor's winning moment in the video on the right>>>>

“I have never laughed so much in my life. I thoroughly enjoyed it,” said Ivor, who donned a headband, T-shirt and sunglasses before letting the battle commence.

He had never arm-wrestled before and he has osteoarthritis in both hands, but that didn’t deter the ex-soldier.

“I do keep myself reasonably fit. And I run my own little car valeting business so I do keep my arms going with all that polishing,” he said.

“As I said to my opponents, I’m a nice guy normally but when I get on that table I’m mad, bad and dangerous to know.”