A DISABLED man from Darlington has won a gold medal at the National Wheelchair Championships.

John Appleton, 54, who suffers from muscular dystrophy, won through to the finals of the bowls pairs section at the championships in Cardiff.

With his partner, Percy Powell, from Plymouth, the pair triumphed 19-8.

It was the first time Mr Appleton had competed in the championships, which are organised by the British Wheelchair Sports Foundation. But he is a seven-times winner of the bowls singles competition run by Disability Sport England.

Mr Appleton, of Rockwell Avenue, is a member of the Darlington and District Indoor Bowls Club, at the Morrison Centre, in North Road.

He said: "It was a very good standard and I am sure that if we had a team out from the championships we could take on an able-bodied team and beat them."