Kate Dixon, eight, continued to show she is an up and coming gymnast by taking the gold medal at Level 4 in the voluntary age group Northern Region championships at the Benfield Centre for Gymnastics Excellent on Sunday.

Kate, a member of the South West Durham Gymnastics Club in Spennymoor had already taken the gold in the compulsory Level 4 age group championships in March.

She then competed at Coxmoor Leisure Centre, Birmingham, in the national finals where she finished in tenth position.

Kate's mother Linda said: "We are happy to encourage her, but she has to give up a lot of her time. Parties are out and it's hard to fit in all the homework she is given as she trains six nights a week leading up to a championship. It also becomes a lot costlier but we are working on that."

Kate lives in Bishop Auckland and attends Cockton Hill Junior School while her grandparents, Mr and Mrs Scott, live in Gladstone Street, Crook.

Taking second place at Level 4 was club mate Rebecca Conlon, while Laura Walker, also from the Spennymoor club, finished in fifth position.

The Level 4 team from Spennymoor which consisted of Kate, Rebecca and Laura plus Bethany Clayton and Abigail Faye took the gold team award.

At Level 3 for ten-year-olds REbecca Irving also took the gold medal and at Level 2, the 11-year-old section, Sophie Wood took bronze.

All the girls will be part of the North of England team which will compete in the voluntary age group national finals at the Spectrum Leisure Centre, Guildford, in November.

Rachel Wright, who coaches at the Spennymoor Gymnastics Club, said: "It is another excellent result for the club and if the girls do well at Guildford they will receive a national ranking and possibly be included in the national squad."

The gymnastics club in Spennymoor caters for all levels of gymnastic ability from babies through to adults and Rachel or Nicola Preston are will to entertain anybody who would like to take gymnastics up. They can be contacted at the club on (01388) 811877.