A 13-year-old swimmer from Bassingbourn will take on England s finest this summer after qualifying for the 2007 national swimming championships in Sheffield. Alex Raine, a pupil at Bassingbourn Village College, has achieved a qualifying time for the 1500

A 13-year-old swimmer from Bassingbourn will take on England's finest this summer after qualifying for the 2007 national swimming championships in Sheffield.

Alex Raine, a pupil at Bassingbourn Village College, has achieved a qualifying time for the 1500 m freestyle race and hopes to qualify for 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m events.

The youngster - like his sister Hannah, 16 - swims for Biggleswade Swimming Club and the Biggleswade-based Mid Beds Swim Squad.

Raine, one of three Bassingbourn Village College pupils in the Mid Beds' squad, has already qualified for the 2007 eastern regional championships and picked up a clutch of gold medals at the Bedfordshire county championships in March.

- Royston Swimming Club's Tory Snowden is celebrating after being ranked among the best 25 racers in her age group in Hertfordshire.

Snowden, nine, was ranked overall 21st after making her debut at the annual county championship meeting in Borehamwood.

Her brother Alex, 12, and Sam Edney, 10, who was also making his first appearance at the gala, were both ranked overall 28th in their age groups after competing in a series of events throughout March.

It was the second year running that Royston swimmers had qualified to take on the best in the county.