WARRINGTON Sports Personality of 2002 Michelle Hey is celebrating triple medal glory at the British Karate Championships.

The 20-year-old won the senior patterned moves (kata) title for the first time and picked up a silver medal in fighting (kumite).

And Hey, of Fearnhead, gained a team kumite bronze medal with England under 21s in the special six nations event that was staged as part of the championships in Sheffield over the weekend.

Her Cheshire Martial Arts Karate Club instructor Paul Graham said: "These are fantastic results, specially in the kumite as she is not as experienced in that event at national level. And that was only the second time she has fought for England juniors in a senior event so to take third place was a great achievement.

"Michelle beat the girl who defeated her to take first place last year in the senior kata so again that shows Michelle's improvement."

On the strength of her success, Hey is planning a two-pronged attack on the European Junior Championships in Croatia in February.

Hey said: "Normally you can only do one or the other but with it being my last junior championships I'm going to have a shot at both kata and kumite. Selections will be confirmed in January."

Meanwhile, a host of pupils coached by Graham and Hey's sister Nicola at the Cheshire Martial Arts Centre, pictured left, have passed their black belt gradings.

Karen Evans impressed at the Birchwood Tennis Centre and has stepped up to second dan status after six years at the club.

Adults Brian Lancaster and Samantha Ellis gained their first dans as did Anya Hoque, aged 10, Kay Jacks, aged 12, Steven Jacks, aged 11, James Dobson, aged 11, Katy Moran, aged 12 and Taniya Mitra, aged 14. Anya gained the highest mark of the day in all the children's sections.

The students needed to gain an average of 55 points or more across 10 disciplines to pass. They were tested on areas such as kata, kumite, basic blocks and combinations plus attacking defence techniques. Adults demonstrated their pad work abilities too.