A MARTIAL arts expert had to eat his way to victory at the national championships.

Adam Lee, 20, was one of three members of Ferryhill Chungdokwan Taekwondo Club to take gold at the weekend event.

The instructor at Newcastle University Taekwondo Club, won the heavyweight division at the contest in Leicester.

But Adam almost failed to make the weight because he was too light.

Ferryhill club spokesman Mike Campos said: "His fellow team members were trying to get him to eat as much as he could hours before the fight and he just scraped into the weight bracket."

The event was the British Taekwondo Control Board's selection event for next year's Olympics.

Nikki Tomkins, 17, also put herself in line for possible Olympic selection by winning the senior female heavyweight contest.

Jade Mullinger, 14, who has just moved up from the child to junior division, also struck gold.

Michelle Park won a silver medal, and Gavin Davison just missed out on the honours.