Belcher breaks burping record

While some people find the idea of burping in public a little revolting, others choose to embrace the belch and revel in their ability to record lengthy gassy releases.

This is certainly true of Tim Janus, who has broken the world record for the longest effort at the first annual World Burping Championships at Hudson Station in New York.

The 35-year-old let out an impressive 18.1-second belch after guzzling down plenty of fizzy drinks – and put his talents down to his ability to condense air in his stomach before bringing it to the surface.

He revealed: "You just have to force every last bit of air up. It's beautiful, really."

There is hope stigma surrounding burping in front of others will be dispelled if the activity is celebrated in competitions such as this, which encourage people to perform the bodily function without fear of being reprehended for doing so.

It remains to be seen whether or not belching at the dinner table becomes more commonplace, but restaurants may become a little livelier if it does!

Posted by Simon Williams