World Scrabble Championship won by Craig Beevers

Craig Beevers (right) beat American Chris Lipe in the final

A British man has won the final of the World Scrabble Championship in London.

Craig Beevers, 33, from Guisborough, beat Chris Lipe, 34, from Clinton, New York, three games to one in the final at the Excel Centre.

He won the final game by 440 points to 412 with the word "talaq", which scored 42 points and means a Muslim form of divorce.

More than 100 competitors from 25 countries tested themselves in 36 games over five days.

Other words in the final game included "ventrous" - meaning adventurous - which scored 65 points, and "diorite", which saw Mr Beevers awarded 69 points and means igneous rock.

Mr Beevers, who has been playing for 12 years and was the 2009 UK champion, won £3,000.

He said: "I am absolutely thrilled to have won.

"It was a closely fought championship and Chris was a very impressive opponent to play."