A WINDOW cleaner is back in Bradford with a big bucket of prizes after a sparkling performance in a national contest.

Graham Bower, of Buttershaw Drive, Buttershaw, beat off stiff competition from window cleaners across the country today at The Cleaning Show in Manchester.

He was the speediest cleaner there today, but not quite as quick as the record set by world champion, Terry 'Turbo' Burrows from Suffolk. He set the Guinness World Record of 9.14 seconds in Blackpool in 2009.

Contenders had to clean three 1.143m high windows and the sill - and could leave no smears.

The event coincides with the 80th anniversary of George Formby's hit When I'm Cleaning Windows.

"I came first in the competition but didn't quite catch up with Terry. I was about a second out," he said.

Even though Mr Bower's time was 12.01 seconds he did get a few penalty points for soap streaks.

"Even with the penalties I was still on top. It was well worth having a go. Terry's quick but not quite as quick as he used to be - even he couldn't match his world record," he added.

Mr Bower, 35, started cleaning windows at the age of 12 and now runs his own business. He won a Kindle Fire tablet and a big bucket full of beer.

"I'm going to keep practising my speeds. Who knows I might be back for another go at the world record next year," he said.