MALVERN area fencers were among the medal winners at the Hereford & Worcester fencing championships that took place at Malvern College.

Matt Haynes, aged 26, of Colwall won the epee title, his closest fights being against Worcester Fencing Club mates Simon Webb of Malvern and Malcolm Fare of Hanley Swan.

After two rounds of pools, fencers were seeded into a direct elimination format.

At the semi-final stage Haynes and Webb fought each other to a 12-all draw, Haynes only snatching the last hit in extra time, while Fare beat fellow veteran, Peter Baron of Stourbridge, 15-8.

In the final Haynes's speed around the piste and accurate flicks to hand kept him ahead to win 15-10.

This has been a good season for Matt Haynes. He has won both the Gloucestershire and West Midlands epee titles, adding the Gloucester foil for good measure.

And as a qualified international referee, he has been in demand at World Cup events.

The county foil championship turned into a battle between youth, in the form of 14-year-old Daniel Robinson of Ross-on-Wye, Britain's leading U15 foilist, and experience, in the shape of Malcolm Fare, the country's top over-60 fencer.

There was never more than one hit's difference between them to 9-all, but then Robinson, upped the pace and with a well-judged mix of attacks and ripostes drew ahead to win 15-11.

Worcester Fencing Club meets at King's School Sports Hall in Severn Street on Friday evenings, 8-10pm.