A CURRY fanatic who could not bear to be without her favourite fodder while abroad is believed to have set a new record for the world's longest takeaway with a delivery from the UK to Down Under.

Rachel Kerr placed an order via the internet last week for a curry from her regular Indian restaurant, the Rupali, in Newcastle. Four days later, Ms Kerr received the meal atop the Sydney Harbour Bridge, 10,850 miles away.

''My friend and I were laughing about how you can't get proper curry in Sydney,'' Ms Kerr said. ''We found a website and were joking around and said, 'wouldn't it be funny if we e-mailed them and asked them to send us a proper curry,' because we're missing it.''

The e-mail got through to Rick McCordall, the website director at Newcastle-based Madaboutcurry, who told The Australian newspaper: ''We get some really unusual requests on the website, but to actually get a curry order to the other side of the world - we just had to do it.''

Mr McCordall organised Rupali curry house chef Abdul Latif to fill Ms Kerr's order of vegetable biryani, pappadums, naan bread, pickles and rice. The meal was frozen and meat-free to meet customs requirements.

The restaurateur said he hoped the delivery would make the Guinness Book of Records for the longest fast-food delivery.

The existing record was set in 1998 when a pizza base was sent from New York City to Tokyo - a distance of 6752 miles. Other noteworthy deliveries include the 200 portions of pakora which Scots supermodel Tracy Allan had flown 3214 miles from Glasgow to New York for a Hogmanay party she was hosting in 1996.

It is expected that Guinness will examine the details of the delivery before confirming it as a record.