BASINGSTOKE teams continued to dominate the British synchronized skating championships on Sunday.

The three teams, coached by Melissa Galvin, shared two golds and a silver medal but the presentation ceremony was halted by a fire alarm, which meant the Ice Sheffield arena had to be evacuated.

Team spokesman Paul Bliss said: "We stood around outside in the freezing cold for an hour, with the teams dressed just in their competition dress."

Team Sparkle became British novice champions for the fifth year running.

Storm also retained their title, although they skated alone in the senior category.

Sparkle and Storm will represent Britain at internationals in Milan (February 11-13) and Nottingham (March 2-6) respectively.

Storm also hope to qualify again for the world championships.

The juvenile team, Stardust, skated well to gain a second successive silver medal, in a three-team event. They challenged Nottingham for the gold, but fell a tenth of a mark short in the end.

Before setting off for Sheffield, the synchro teams handed over, at an open evening, half the proceeds of a sponsored skate to two charities. Half of the £1,182 raised by the skaters was split equally between Woodlarks Camp Site Trust and Woodlarks Workshop.

Woodlarks Camp Site Trust provides camping facilities for children and adults with disabilities at a 12-acre site near Farnham. Woodlarks Workshop, next door, is home to 20 adults with disabilities.