LEDBURY and District ASC are not only county champions but new record holders in two events when the 9/10years boys stormed to victory in the Inter-club relay competition held at Wolverhampton.

Recent success at both county and district level gave the team cause for optimism and winning their heat in the medley event by more than five seconds gave the boys confidence to aim for the gold medals.

All swimmers had to swim 50metres and leading off the team was Thomas Stokes on backstroke, a strong swim only a tenth of a second off his pb gave breaststroke specialist James Middleton a two metre lead which he managed to increase to give youngest team member George Bennion a great boost for his two lengths of butterfly. Anchor man was Patrick Blake who swam a superb, smooth race in a new pb time finishing the race more than five metres ahead of the chasing Haden Hill and Stourbridge.

The same four boys proved their versatility in the freestyle event with all of them recording times within the county standard resulting in an easy victory and smashing the record by over five seconds.

In the same age group the girls medley team, Hannah Kirby (backstroke), Emma Fitzpatrick (breaststroke) Josie Rycroft (butterfly) and Jessica Hunt (freestyle) swam particularly well to gain a place in the final but just failed to match their heat time finishing a very creditable 7th place. Katie Batley joined Hannah, Josie and Jessica for the freestyle event again qualifying for a place in the final and finishing in 6th position.

The 11/12 years freestyle team, Alison Pudge, Heather Farmer, Annabelle Wilce and Charlie Scott Wilson faced tough opposition and despite putting in a great performance were disappointed to only be reserves for the final. The medley team were more successful with Annabelle (backstroke) Charlie (breaststroke), Hannah Bloxsome (butterfly) and Alison (freestyle) all swimming best times gave them a place in the final, finishing 8th.

The 13/14 girls teams were both successful in their heats, the medley team of Lucinda Houghton on backstroke, Amy Tyler, breaststroke, Lucy Bennion, butterfly and Susan Pudge, freestyle finished in 8th place as did the freestyle team of Lucy, Amy, Charlotte Wilce and Lucinda.

Coach Viv Jones said: "This is our best ever result in the county relay gala with seven of our eight teams reaching the finals. We are all very proud of the boys who have worked extremely hard all year. Our aim next year is to be able to have even more teams participate."