LEDBURY and District enjoyed a medal-laden first weekend of the Worcester County Championships in Wolverhampton.

Head coach Lawrie Thomson and his assistant Viv Jones were ready for the challenge ahead as their swimmers' hard work paid off.

Charlotte Hall, 12, began the medal haul, gaining a bronze medal in the 100-metre individual medley.

This was just the start of a fine weekend for the family as Hall also won gold in the 50m butterfly and silver in the 400m individual medley.

She recorded personal best times for all her seven races.

Older brother Sam, 13, achieved pbs in five of his six races and took home gold in the 100m individual medley and silvers in the 400m individual medley and 50m and 100m butterfly.

Their father Niall swapped his team manager’s shirt for racing trunks and showed he still has what it takes by winning gold in the masters category.

Sisters Daisy Wood, 10, and Lily Wood, 12, ensured another family success, finishing most of their races with top 10 placings.

Daisy Wood took 10 seconds off her entry time in the 200m freestyle and won bronze in the 400m individual medley with 23 seconds taken off her pb.

Poppy Park, 13, achieved personal bests in all six of her events as the butterfly expert won 50m gold and 100m silver.

Her technique helped earn bronze in the 400m individual medley.

The 400m individual medley saw a battle between Ledbury's first-time county swimmer Ellie Ainsworth, 14, and Park.

Ainsworth was placed seventh in her age group but took five seconds off her pb.

The boys' 200m freestyle saw three Ledbury first-time competitors head-to-head in the first nine years heat with Thomas Birley, Max Rice and Daniel Kearley.

Kearley bagged silver, Rice bronze and Birley was fourth.

In the 11 years 200m freestyle, Malachi Cashmore and William Kennedy were head-to-head for much of the race.

But Cashmore found extra in the last few lengths to secure the bronze medal despite missing several months of winter training through illness.

Molly Schofield, nine, enjoyed an exciting county debut with new pbs in the 200m breaststroke and 50m backstroke alongside 50m butterfly silver and 200m freestyle bronze.

Matt Thomas, 12, finished just outside the medals in all six races but achieved fine pbs, particularly in the 400m individual medley.

Fynn Lewis-Gale, 12, also narrowly missed out on medals in two of his three contests but achieved pbs.

Kai Gooden-Morris, 12, was well inside the top 10 in all six races, particularly impressing in the 100m individual medley.

After a disappointing opening day, Elliot Heath, 13, returned to scoop two bronze medals and a gold in the 200m freestyle.

He took five seconds off his pb and gained a regional championship qualification time.

James Casewell, 10, performed well under the pressure of being seeded number one in his age group by adding four golds and a bronze.

Casewell improved on all but one of his pbs and gained three regional championship times together with a new county 200m freestyle record for his age group.

Also looking ahead to the regional championships are Calypso Harvey, 16, and Tom Harris, 17.

Harvey competed in four races, gaining three regional championship times, a gold medal and two silvers in her age group and two overall county championship silvers and a bronze.

Harris, a back stroke specialist, gained regional championship times in the 50m and 100m.

He narrowly missed out on medals in the hotly contested age group in both races in the county championship finals.

But Harris improved his rankings in the other strokes by posting five pbs.