PUPILS from Ulverston Victoria High School made Cumbria sporting history at the Lord’s Taverners North West Regional Boccia finals.

The six-strong team from UVHS became the first side from the county to medal at the championships, as they came away with bronze.

The children from the school's Sports Ability club put their learning of boccia, a game similar to bowls but played with leather balls, to good effect as they won the Cumbria competition before Christmas.

That earned them a place in the regional finals in Liverpool, where they battled against more than 100 other pupils from across the region.

Alfie, Harvey, Ella, Michael, Daniel and Owen engaged in a competitive tournament, with only the winning team qualifying for the national finals in May.

As the day progressed, the excitement and tension built up as all players and teams used their tactics and skills in an effort to get ahead of the field.

Despite a valiant performance from all six students, the UVHS team were pipped to the post, but they still won the bronze, becoming the first Cumbrian team to win a regional medal in the pan-disability division.

Richard Evans, performance manager at Boccia England said: “Events like this offer a great opportunity for local and regional talent to be noticed and accelerated to a national level.”