A group of young martial arts enthusiasts in Bradford have been awarded their black belts for kick-boxing.

The eight youngsters, who attend classes at Byron Primary School in Barkerend and Great Horton Village Hall, were tested on 225 kick-boxing moves before completing 70 push-ups to gain the belts.

Instructor Azar Farooq Rehman started running the classes two years ago with funding from the Extended School’s Project to help young people in the area become more active.

He said: “It was a long day. These kids have been preparing for it since January.

“They had to make sure their fitness was there.

“They had to be mentally and physically prepared. Watch this space, they will be fighting for England.”

The belts were sponsored by Shamsher Malik of Elite Training Academy in Manchester Road.