YOUNG acro gymnasts from a North-East club will form half of the Great Britain team at the world championships later this month.

Fifty per cent of the British team train at the Deerness Gymnastics and Leisure Centre, in Ushaw Moor, County Durham.

Men's group world number one, Barrie Hindson, 21, from Belmont, Scott Patterson, 20, from Meadowfield, Stuart McKenzie, 20, from Brandon, and David Scott, 17, from West Rainton, all County Durham, will be going for gold at this month's world championships in France.

The British men's pair of Mark Fyson, 21, from Nevilles Cross, Durham City, and Chris Jones, 17, from Nettlesworth, near Chester-le-Street, County Durham, are hoping to break into the medals in their first major competition together.

The women's pair of Lauren Belchamber, 20, from Bearpark, near Durham City, and Leigh Simpson, 15, from South Shields, South Tyneside, are also flying the flag for success in their event.

At junior level, world silver medal holders, Robert Tregoning, 17, and Hanna Browning, 15, both from Lanchester, County Durham, are setting their sights on gold.

Sarah Tregoning, 15, from Lanchester, Becky Gordon, 16 and Hannah Goggin, 14, from Bishop Auckland, County Durham, will compete in the women's group event, while 15-year-old Luke Rooney, from Ushaw Moor, and Richard Hurst, 14, from Esh Winning, County Durham, will take part in the junior men's pair event.