A ROCK musician turned butcher has created a ‘revolutionary’ new sausage in honour of his hometown.

Emlyn Hugill has travelled the world tasting sausages of all flavours to come up with the 'Yackley Banger'.

He works as a butcher at W Slater & Sons in Newton Aycliffe and and decided to create the sausage to encourage customers to buy local.

He said: "Cumbria has the Cumberland sausage so why don't we have a Newton Aycliffe sausage?

"I came up with the name because the Saxon name for Newton Aycliffe is Yackley and it suited Newton Aycliffe's first 'official' banger.

"I've always been very inspired by the local area and think Newton Aycliffe is on the up.

"I've worked around the world and tried all kinds of food but I've never seen a recipe like this or tasted a sausage as good as this."

The butcher's team said the sausage is made to an Italian law meaning it is very low in additives and its secret recipe is created using fresh herbs.

Mr Hugill wanted to create the sausage to reflect the town.

He used fresh produce grown in the area and adds beer from Steam Machine Brewery which operates in the town.

The 29-year-old got his start working as an apprentice butcher at W Slater & Sons when he was just 16.

He left two years later to travel the world, creating music in a rock and roll band and trying new food.

Mr Hughill said his travels – which included working at a Michelin star restaurant – had strengthened his knowledge of flavours.

He returned to the shop years later after realising butchery was his passion and even got a meat cleaver tattooed on his lower arm to pay tribute to the craft.

Mr Hughill has been working at W Slater & Sons for about a year since his return and said he was grateful to the team for developing his skills.

W Slater & Sons has been open for 35 years and launched the sausage a month prior.

The team said it was selling well and have plans to create more Newton Aycliffe themed concoctions in the future.

Manager Lee Slater said: "I think the new sausage is really good it brings something new to the town.

"At first it was too powerful but we tested ideas and made it simpler – it really works."

The sausage can be bought at W Slater & Sons butchers inside The Thames Shopping Centre in Newton Aycliffe.

For more information about the butchers visit @slatersbutchers on Facebook.