Didcot youngster Spencer Lawley brought home a silver and bronze medal from the European Taekwon-Do championships in Spain.

The 17-year-old, who is studying A-levels at Didcot Sixth Forms, took silver in the free fighting competition for competitors under 70 kilos after a close battle in the final, held near Benidorm.

He took a bronze in the team power test with four members from the England squad, which involved breaking boards with hands and feet.

Spencer, who trained for 12 weeks with the England squad in Leceister in the run-up to the three-day competition, said: "There was an excellent atmosphere, but it was very hard going because the competition was very good, especially from the Polish."

The dedicated youngster trains twice a week with instructor Gary Miller at Didcot Leisure Centre and took up the sport when he was seven years old.

Miller said: "He has been groomed for stardom and all the training he has put in has started to come to fruition. We knew that he was going to be talented from the age of about eight and he has been British champion several times.

"I spoke to the English team coach after the competition and he said that Spencer was very unlucky to lose out on the gold."