A pun by a Cambridgeshire comedian has scooped the prize for funniest joke of the Edinburgh Fringe.

The 39-year-old, Darren Walsh, whose show Punderbolt is on at the Pleasance, took first place in the vote by TV channel Dave.

The winning joke was: “I just deleted all the German names off my phone. It’s Hans free.”

Walsh, who won the first UK Pun Championship last year, said he was delighted. “What a punderful feeling,” he said.

It was the eighth year that the joke award has been made. Previous winners include Tim Vine, Stewart Francis, Zoe Lyons and Nick Helm.

This year saw the youngest comedian make the award shortlist, as 12-year-old Grace The Child claimed 10th place.

Among the top 10 funniest jokes of the Fringe:

“I just deleted all the German names off my phone. It’s Hans free” - Darren Walsh

“Surely every car is a people carrier?” - Adam Hess

“What’s the difference between a ‘hippo’ and a ‘Zippo’? One is really heavy, the other is a little lighter” - Masai Graham

“If I could take just one thing to a desert island I probably wouldn’t go” - Dave Green

“Jesus fed 5,000 people with two fishes and a loaf of bread. That’s not a miracle. That’s tapas” - Mark Nelson

“Red sky at night. Shepherd’s delight. Blue sky at night. Day” - Tom Parry

“The first time I met my wife, I knew she was a keeper. She was wearing massive gloves” - Alun Cochrane

“Clowns divorce. Custardy battle” - Simon Munnery

“They’re always telling me to live my dreams. But I don’t want to be naked in an exam I haven’t revised for.” - Grace The Child

The funniest joke was chosen from a shortlist compiled by a panel of judges, who saw an average of 60 shows each at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe.

The shortlisted gags were then put to 2,000 people, with no reference to the comedians who told them, who then voted for the jokes they found the funniest.