ENGLISH Schools' junior international Helen Warburton got the new track season off to a flying start, lifting her second county 1,500m title.

Competing in the Greater Manchester AAA championships the 13-years-old Leigh Harrier sliced five seconds off her personal best to collect the gold medal and retain the title she won last year.

The Bedford High School girl won the hard-fought battle in a national grade one standard time of 4min 53.3sec.

The club had a field day bringing home a haul of six medals.

Another of Leigh's rising stars Fay Horrocks sprinted to silver in the girls' U11 75m sprints. After winning her heat in 11.38sec she was shaded into second place in the final in a slower time of 11.45sec, but was delighted with her first county medal.

The team collected four bronze medals through Kellie Thornton, Rebecca Howarth, Abigail Howarth and sprinter Tashon Galleger.

Kellie, who was running in only her third 300m race, crossed the line in 43.6sec in the U17 agegroup while Rebecca in the same agegroup 1500m clocked 4min 59.5sec for her third spot. She also took sixth in the 800m final.

Sister Abigail in the girls' U13 1200m lifted her first county medal in 4min 20sec.

Tashon won his heat of the men's U20 200m in 23.28sec and reduced his time to 23.26sec for a final bronze.

Louise Boardman was unlucky to finish just out of the medals in the U17s 300m after clocking the same time in the heat and final of 45.9sec.

Lauren Howarth ran a pb 2min 23.9sec in the U15 800m heat but missed out on a medal haul finishing fourth in the slower time of 2min 27sec.

Tom Henders also ran two pbs in the youths U17 1500m and 800m while in the U13 1500m Isaac McCann also ran his best 1500m to finish fourth in 5min 10sec. Richard Powell was sixth in 5min 30sec and Tom Powell ninth in 5min 45sec.

Tom Boardman was sixth in the men's U20 1500m in 4min 16.4sec.

Shannon Johnson in the U11s' 600m gave a promising performance to finish fifth in 2min 5.2sec.