Matthew Cottam has a promising athletics career ahead of him after a string of top performances this season .

Matthew (above), a pupil at South Craven School, Cross Hills, is a member of Bingley Harriers and has made a major impact as an all-round athlete.

This season he has taken gold in the Under-15 60 metres hurdle event at the North of England Athletic Association Championships in Manchester, won the 80 metres hurdle at the North of England Championships in Liverpool and set a new 200 metres record of 24.3 secs in the North Yorkshire Schools Championships.

Matthew then went on to represent North Yorkshire in the English School Championships in Sheffield, where he finished an impressive 15th overall. He will complete his season at the 3A's Championships in Sheffield.

Matthew has already built up an impressive collection of trophies, not only as a hurdler, but also in the 100 metres sprint and long jump.

His running times are improving every year and dad Dave, a former Yorkshire Schoolboys boxing champion, who works for RaisePrint in Keighley said: "He is doing really well and we have high hopes he will be able to make athletics his full-time career."

Mum Susan and eight-year-old sister Sarah make up the family. Sarah hopes to follow in her brother's footsteps and also plans to join Bingley Harriers.