Luke's a golden wonder!

That's young Luke van Bentum who has amazed instructors at Radcliffe Baths by being awarded a gold medal at the age of six.

And the youngster, who began swimming when he was aged just two, is well on his way to fulfilling his dream of becoming an Olympic competitor.

Luke, of Black Moss Close, Radcliffe, swam 32 lengths of the baths as well as displaying other skills to win his gold award from the Amateur Swimming Associaton (ASA).

His proud mum Deborah said: "I first took Luke to the baths when he was just six-weeks-old and he was swimming on his own by the age of two.

"He is now a member of Radcliffe Swimming Club after joining them in January. He swam in his first competition in February and won a gold medal in the backstroke."

She added: "It's apparently almost unheard of for a six-year-old swimmer to be awarded an ASA gold.

"One of the instructors at the club said she had only heard of one other case where that had happened and it was her child."

Luke, a pupil at Wesley Methodist primary school in Radcliffe, has ambitions to compete at the highest level in his chosen sport.

Deborah said: "He wants to become an Olympic swimmer. Swimming is just second nature to Luke who is just as comfortable underwater as he is on the top of it."