ABINGDON has enlisted the help of TV’s James May and his science boffins to help find a way to throw ‘royal’ buns further.

The BBC presenter will be filming in the town during the Diamond Jubilee celebrations for the programme James May’s Man Lab.

And the bun-throwing on Sunday, June 3, will be shown on TV later in the year.

Town councillors have been throwing buns off the County Hall Museum roof on royal occasions for centuries.

But they have always struggled to throw the buns to the back of the crowded Market Place.

So Abingdon town councillor Iain Littlejohn wrote to the show to ask them to help solve the problem.

And the producer last week accepted the challenge.

The team will now come up with devices to help launch some of the 6,000 buns on the day.

Mr May said: “Being invited to throw buns at the people of Abingdon is a great honour. I’m proud, and deeply flattered.”

Mr Littlejohn said: “I thought it was a nice piece of English eccentricity which would appeal to him.”

He said crowds at the back of the Market Place were never near enough to catch any buns, adding: “It’s a well-known problem.”

He also said it was hoped the contraptions would form part of the museum’s bun-throwing displays after the event.

The TV team will be in Abingdon towards the end of the month to film and again for the bun-throwing itself.

After the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton last year, the bun-throwing drew about 5,000 people to Market Place.

Alice Badcock, chairman of the Jubilee Committee, said: “The Jubilee celebrations this year will be a fantastic event for the town involving the whole community.

“We are looking forward to seeing what James and his team will invent for us to help us in our challenge to make sure the buns reach all parts of the crowd. I’m sure this will really add to the occasion.”

Last year’s mayor Mike Badcock organised a contest to find the best bun chuckers to help get them to the back of the crowd.

The inaugural world bun-throwing championship was held last month and two winners, Danny Parry and Selina Wallis, will also be on the roof.

Mr Badcock said: “The first world bun-throwing championships were a great success and I hope they become a regular tradition in the future.

“I think we identified two great champion throwers and I am sure they will give James May’s contraptions a good run for their money.

“In this battle of man versus machine, I am betting on Abingdon muscle.”

Paul Townsend, Abingdon Chamber of Commerce president, said the show would let people know about the town and attract tourists.

He said: “Any publicity is good publicity, especially on the national side.”

Last year, James May’s Man Lab sent Thame resident Roger Carr’s dead budgie 30,322 metres above the Earth in a hydrogen balloon as part of an experiment on the show.