A GROUP of basketball players shot their way into the record books during a charity scoring marathon at the weekend.

Players from Durham University held the event at the Tesco store, at Dragonville, on the outskirts of the city, scoring 16,391 baskets in 12 hours.

They are the first players to set a world record for the most two-step lay-up scores.

The university basketball club, which has teams in the British University Sports Association's Northern League, held a similar event last year but did not have it officially recorded.

Organiser Amy Riches said: "There are records for other types of scoring, such as dunking, but none so far for two-step lay-offs.

"We got 10,000 scores last year and hoped to get 12,500 this year, but as it happens we have far exceeded it. It worked out we were scoring a basket every 2.7 seconds."

Thirty-five people from 14 clubs took part in the event.

Ms Riches said: "This time, we had officials there to make sure it was properly recorded."

Money raised from sponsorship of the event will be shared by the club and the charity Children NorthEast.

The club plans to buy kit and it is also hoping to launch a coaching scheme for local school pupils.