JAMIE Weston comes from a boxing family - his great grandfather Charlie Harding once fought middleweight legend Randolph Turpin - and this week he was crowned national champion.

Amazingly it was only his tenth ever bout, but the 16-year-old scrapped to a narrow points victory against Liverpool's Steven Kehoe in the NABC Class B age group middleweight finals in Manchester.

The victory made him the first national champion from the vibrant Eastleigh ABC in recent memory.

But it could all have been very different.

A year ago Weston was diagnosed with diabetes and feared his ambition of becoming a boxing champion would be finished.

"I started getting blurry vision, so I went to the doctors and he told me I was diabetic. To be honest I didn't know exactly what that would mean."

Dad Graham, himself a boxer in the Army, added: "He thought he would have to give up and he was heartbroken. We immediately went back to the doctor and he said it would be okay to continue.

"He has to inject himself twice a day and be very careful with what he eats, but the likes of Steve Redgrave have already proved that diabetes doesn't have to stop you following your sporting dreams."

Weston, from Winchester, took up boxing three years ago and admits it has helped him channel his natural energy.

He was once expelled from King's School, but insists he was never a serious troublemaker.

"I've never been in trouble with the police, but I suppose I did used to walk about thinking I was a big man and got into a few bits of trouble in the streets.

"But I have found boxing is a great way to get rid of any aggression. I love the sport and the training and I want to become a professional and fight on the television."

Weston's boxing hero is Iron Mike Tyson and he certainly showed some glimpses of the youngest-ever heavyweight champion on the way to winning the national crown.

He travelled all over the south of England to beat the best from Hampshire, Wales, the West country and finally London to set up the title fight with Kehoe at Manchester Civic Centre.

And led by Eastleigh trainers Dean Bailey and Tony Marsh, he produced an outstanding boxing display in what was a close-fought final.

Bailey said: "It was a tough fight and an excellent contest. The first round was very busy, with both trying to weigh each other up.

"Jamie landed some good body shots and was working hard on the inside.

"In the second round Kehoe was on top early on, but Jamie caught him with a telling left hook and came on strong.

"They were both tired in the third, but he fought well on the inside and caught him with some good shots.

"It probably could have gone either way and we were elated to get the decision by five points to two."

Weston, who is already developing a reputation as a fearsome puncher, added: "It was a close fight, but I thought I just about landed the cleaner shots."

Marsh added: "What is most impressive is that he has achieved this as a novice, going into the competition with fewer than ten fights."