CHRIS HART has broken Dave Lewis's 24-year-old Lancashire Schools Record in the intermediate boys 1,500m steeplechase.

Despite blustery conditions at the championships in Blackpool which saw fewer English School Entry Standards than usual, the Under 17 broke the record by three seconds to log 4mins 26.5secs.

Lewis, who turned 40 earlier this year, went on to become an international in the chase.

Mansfield High School pupil Chris, now training with Arthur Almond at Blackburn, broke his own PB of 4:32, the English Schools Entry Standard of 4:36 and the National Standard of 4:30. He was representing the Pendle Schools team.

Like Chris, Colin Bailey is a member of Burnley AC. Specialising in the decathlon, senior Colin cleared two metres in the high jump for the first time in his career to seal his place in the English Schools Championship.

Two English Schools finalists of last year, Louise Dickinson and Laura Finucane, have earned the chance to try again.

Laura, a pupil at St Hilda's in Burnley, won the intermediate girls 800m in 2:11.2, and will hope to add to her bronze medal of 12 months ago.

Louise, from Park High School, Colne, is in her first year as an intermediate.

She won the 200m in 25.6secs and will hope for better luck than last year when she fell in the final.

The English Schools Championships will be held at the Harvey Haddon Stadium, Nottingham, on July 12 and 13.

The Lancashire Schools Team includes these East Lancashire athletes - Junior Girls: 75m hurdles Anna Griffiths (Blackburn); 100m Caroline Smithson (Hyndburn and Ribble Valley)

Inter Girls: 200m Louise Dickinson (Pendle); 300m Sonia Hodgkinson (Chorley); 800m Laura Finucane (Pendle).

Inter Boys: 200m Daniel Whittaker (Rossendale); 400m Kieran Turner (Pendle); 800m Matt Wood (Blackburn); 1,500m steeplechase Chris Hart (Pendle); long jump Mark Fletcher (Blackburn); high jump Lee Pursglove (Chorley) Senior Boys: high jump Colin Bailey (Burnley)