Sutton-based Tom Duncan-Dunlop has teamed up with Dartford’s Rob Tough to win the 2009 World Carp Classic.

The pair beat off competition from 126 pairs from 21 different countries to claim the £10,000 first prize at the six-day event at Lac de Madine in north-east France.

Surviving on just twelve hours’ sleep throughout the marathon non-stop competition, Duncan-Dunlop, 36, and Tough, 45, bagged an event-record 26 fish weighing a total of 347.5kg to easily beat their closest rivals, headed by Dutch pair Koos Walters and Bert Teuben (eight fish, 125.65kg) and Robert Ceaus and M Gulke of Germany (eight fish, 123.45kg).

They also helped England’s Team Mainline Carpworld clinch the best team prize for the third year in a row.

Having come fifth in 2007, heating engineer Duncan-Dunlop and Tough failed to catch a single fish last year, but realised they might be in for a change of fortune when they drew out the peg next to the one that produced the winners in 2008.

With good placement of their four rods, making the most of the stormy weather conditions and surviving on minimal sleep, they amassed a haul of 22 carp by the fifth day - including three fish weighing more than 40lb - to establish a comfortable lead.

But the duo were determined to keep going and catch as many fish as possible in the final 24 hours - despite Tough suffering a series of deep cuts on his legs caused by thorn bushes in their area of the lake that eventually became infected.

Full results: www.worldcarpclassic.com