TEN-year-old Fareham girl Ellie Lancashire savoured some long overdue success at the In-Age Elite Gymnastics Championships at Maidenhead.

Lancashire, a Hampshire Academy squad member, travelled up with the junior girls team from the Dynamo School of Gymnastics and their coach Sarah Wilson.

She came away walking tall as the overall champion with a score of 27.85, taking gold on the beam for good measure.

Her solid beam performance scored 7.95 - one and a half marks above her clubmate and nearest rival Natalie Golding from Hedge End.

Golding took the overall silver medal and was also runner-up on the bars, but the highlight was an outstanding floor routine, which secured her first regional gold.

Coach Wilson said: "Ellie has finally produced some of her best work in competition and, with a few landing improvements, she will score 30.00 easily. We are looking forward to the National Finals at Guildford in November where she could earn a place in the World Class Start squad."

Last year's champion Natasha Nolan of Dynamo was disappointed with sixth place. She is usually a safe bet for a podium finish but, with three falls, she could not match her in-form teammates on the day.

"It is tough at the top and even at this young age they soon learn that a fall can cost you a place," commented Dynamo's director of coaching Debbie Hampton.