BLACKBURN Bridge Club have won the Lancashire Championship.

Club members Tony Woolin, Ken Renno, Dr John Brearley and Ross Shine played into the early hours to win the Kings of Four knockout competition against a team who has been champions for the past four years.

Team captain Ken said: "It is an outstanding achievement, especially as we won the final against a club who had been undefeated in four years.

"It was a close match and we won by only 11 points.

"It went on until the early hours of the morning and I was shattered the next day."

The team, which had come close, but not won the championship for six years, played against other clubs from old Lancashire', including Bolton, Southport, Brierfield, and tussled in the final against a team of players from Lancaster and Preston.

They collected a small cash prize and a trophy, and the win allows them to enter a nationwide competition against bridge champions from across the country at a date to be confirmed.

For enquiries about membership, call John Wilson on 01254 247720.