Pupils from Appleton Academy in Bradford are fast becoming experts in the sport of Dragon Boat racing, and will run a national tournament in the district next spring.

The school have been training hard in the sport – which involves large, paddle-powered boats – after managing to buy their own boats with a bid for £20,000 from Youth Opportunity Funding.

They were runners-up in two events at the Dragon Boat Racing National Cup Finals in Nottingham in September after teaming up with a club from Liverpool.

The grant was to develop dragon boating in Bradford, and the school is running a competition for Bradford secondary schools at Doe Park reservoir, near Denholme, on Friday, May 23.