He cheered it all the way, but unfortunately his duck just didn't have what it takes.
Streatham MP Keith Hill's entry was one of the runners-up in an annual duck racing event held on the Thames among MPs and members of the Greater London Assembly.
The competitors launched their own yellow plastic duck from Westminster Bridge and watched as they jostled and bobbed their way up alongside the Commons terrace.
The event has been held for several years and is sponsored by Thames Water to highlight the £5bn investment they have made in the capital's river since 1989, turning it into one of the cleanest metropolitan estuaries in the world.
Around 70 ducks took part in the race, which has been won by Dulwich and West Norwood MP Tessa Jowell for the past two years. However, her luck finally ran out and the prize was taken by Enfield Southgate MP Stephen Twigg, who gave the £3,000 charity prize to the Chicken Shed Theatre Company.
July 11, 2002 11:00
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