'Space Cowboy' swallows 18 swords

An Australian man dubbed the Space Cowboy has set a new Guinness World Record after swallowing 18 72cm swords simultaneously.

Street performer Chayne Hultgren, 31, beat his own record of 17 swords that he had set in 2008, the Australian Daily Telegraph reports.

Hultgren said: "It's amazing. I've been preparing for this since I was 16. It is definitely one of my greatest achievements so far.

"It wasn't recommended by my doctor... It's an educated risk. I don't just straight away grab 18 blades and shove them down my throat - you've got to practise a lot and build up to it."

He added: "So I stretch my throat with hoses and use a few different techniques to basically enable me to do what, until now, has been impossible.''

Hultgren regularly performs as the Space Cowboy at the Royal Easter Show's 'Psycho Sideshow'.