A BRADFORD ice skating squad hopes to be the best of British when it competes at a national championships for the first time.

Team Bradford Brilliance, which trains weekly at Bradford Ice Arena, will take part in the British Synchronised Skating Championships.

The competition will see the team face off against more than 50 teams from across the UK at the National Ice Centre in Nottingham on January 17 and 18.

Synchronised ice skating involves teams of 12 to 16 people, skating in formation at speed, while performing routines to music for up to two minutes.

It is a growing sport in the UK and is likely to be included in the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in 2018 as a demonstration event.

Team Bradford Brilliance, set up by coach Danka Durasevic in May this year, so far has 35 members who are split into three teams.

The elementary squad is made up of skaters aged between seven and 11, the preliminary group are aged between 11 and 16 and an adult group.

The discipline is open to both genders but the club is for now made up of only female members with an age range of seven to 57.

Organisers of the British Championships invited Team Bradford Brilliance to send teams to next month's tournament.

Team manager Sally Rasmussen, 44, of Harrogate, who also competes for the club alongside her daughters Jasmin, 11 and Ruby, eight.

She said: "It's been a really exciting few months for the group.

"We are training really hard for the championships. It is huge for us.

"It's really fun to be part of a team of skaters when skating can usually be such an individual sport.

"The team element keeps the skating challenging too, and we're really excited to be going to our first competition in January.

"We will look to come in the top half of the teams competing at the British Championships.

"This is a good boost for Bradford. We are trying to prove that it's not all doom and gloom and there is plenty of good stuff going on in Bradford.

"It's a great sport and is really inclusive. It's a physical and mental test for everybody. You have to complete a number of technical moves in our routine. Both of my daughters skate with me."

Team Bradford Brilliance is also looking for sponsorship. The club needs cash to pay for kit, travel and other necessary equipment.

Squad members and their families have already held a host of fundraising drives including bag packs and clothing collections.

The club welcome new members who own their own skates and are Skate UK Level 5 and above.

For more information, call the Bradford Ice Arena on 01274 733535.