RADCLIFFE Swimming Club showed it is still going strong following the return of its annual gala.

The club championship was not run last year following the decision to close the town pool.

But this year's gala was held at Castle Leisure Centre and proved to be well contested.

There were eight open events for men and women and the Tootill Trophy was awarded to the swimmer with the most overall points.

James Duncan swept the board in the men's open events to take the Tootill Trophy, and after winning the 100m freestyle on the night also picked up the Greenhalgh Trophy, which was first competed for at the club's first annual gala on September 26, 1899.

Ffion Lewis won three women's open events – the 100m butterfly and 100m and 200m individual medley – while Georgia Hartley won the 100m backstroke and Ellie Costello claimed the 100m freestyle title.

Katie Cherry was the night's only record-breaker, knocking 0.6secs of the club championship record for the 100m breaststroke, which has stood since 2006.

In the junior events, Sam Duncan won the boys' under-12s title and Aimee Dickinson claimed the girls' u12s crown, while Leon Callaghan was top boy in the u14s category and Jessica Hawkins took the girls' u14s prize.

Members of the club's D final-winning team in the Central Lancashire Junior Jubilee League were awarded medals and the junior team captains Leon Callaghan and Caitlin Hartley were presented with the trophy.

Amongst the other winners to receive awards at the presentation evening, Kieran Flanagan was presented the Dorothy Lord Open Event Trophy as junior swimmer of the year, while Leon Callaghan won the swimmer of the year and received the Kenyon Shield.

Isobel Shepherd and Nathan Paice were the most improved swimmers of the year and five swimmers won team distinction awards – James Duncan, Sam Duncan, Chris Parr, Leoni Appleby and Natalya Bonfield.