CHRIS Surtees, of Hunwick and a pupil at St. John's RC comprehensive school in Bishop Auckland, set a new championship record in winning the senior boys' 100 metres butterfly title at the English Schools' national swimming championships in Sheffield.

Surtees' new record of 57.3 sec beat the old record of 57.9 sec set in 1997. Surtees, who swims for Middlesbrough, is in his final year at the school and takes his GCE 'A' levels next year.

He hopes to go on to do sports studies at Loughborough University.

As champion he automatically takes his place in the England Schools' team to swim against Ireland, Scotland and Wales in Ireland next March.