LOCAL athletes scooped 12 golds, three silver and six bronze medals - plus 10 personal best performances - in the Lancashire AAA Championships at Stanley Park, Blackpool, at the weekend.

Top performer among the Lancaster and Morecambe Athletics Club team was veteran Avril McClelland, who had an excellent run to equal both World and British records for her age group in the 100 metres.

She finished second in the race overall in a time of 12.5 seconds - but her record may not be ratified because the wind gauge was not working.

Undaunted, she continued her winning ways with a third place and a new British record in the 200 metres.

The under 17 men's 400m saw Arran Tophran stride home in first place in a personal best time of 50.5 seconds, while in the under 15 Boy's throwing events, Tom Smith continued to improve - winning the shot putt with 9.11m and going on to win the discus with a cracking personal best of 25.59m.

The middle-distance events for women saw the club grab two wins, with Louise Gardner sprinting away from the field in the 1500m for a personal best of 4.35 minutes and Joanne Perry scooping a new club record when she powered through to cross the line first in the 5,000m in 18.33 minutes.

Iin the field events, Nichole Thompson won the under 17 long jump with a personal best 5.07m and a gold medal in the high jump with 1.55m.

Graham Lumsden won the under 20 men's high jump with 1.85m and then struck a repeat performance with a gold for his 6.26m long-jump.

Aiden Jones had a win-packed day in the senior men's throwing events, securing poll position with a 38.51m hammer shot, just outside his club best, and then going on to earn second place in the discus, throwing 30.24m, and third in the shot putt (8.81m).

Also competing in the shot was Matthew Higginson in the under 13 boys, putting 6.49m for a personal best and a first place.

Third places went to Kieran Rowlands in the under 20 men's 400m (56.10 seconds) and Amanda Pyrah in the under 17 women's 1,500m (5.09 minutes) while in the Under 17 men's 1500m Dominic Jones beat his previous personal best by more than 10 seconds to record 4.19.9 minutes and clinch fourth place.

In the 3000m he went even better, stealing the show with a winning personal best of 9.28 minutes.

Thirds were also awarded to 300m runners Kieran Rowlands with a 2.09.08 time and Lauren Cooper with 2.33.3 minutes.

Alex Kneale was put to the stamina test - running in two heats and two finals in quick succession. In the 800m he ran a personal best of 2.19 minutes and in the 200m he clocked 27.60 seconds, claiming two fourth places.