Most people come back from holiday with a sun tan and a suitcase of dirty washing, but a Bingley schoolboy returned as a champion of New Zealand.

Mountain-bike mad Tom Hooper, 14, was visiting his brother Jonathon in Palmerston on the North Island of New Zealand. when he saw an advert for a mountain biking time trials competition.

Already the Yorkshire Intermediate Champion, Tom had taken his bike with him to keep up with his training and decided on the spur of the moment to enter the event.

"I saw a newspaper article about the competition and I rang this guy up and he said he was arranging the North Island bike trial championships," he said.

"I went to that and entered the expert section, that's the hardest category, and I ended up winning and becoming the North Island Champion."

To take the title Tom, of Wordsworh Way, Bingley, had to complete an obstacle course against the clock without putting his feet on the floor.

He was up against seven other local riders, but said the competition wasn't that strong.

"The whole standard in New Zealand isn't as good as in England because they haven't been doing it for so long. The amount of people that turn up to their trials is about a fifth of what we get in England."

Tom is sponsored by All Terrain Cycles in Cross Hills and said he trains for up to two hours every day.

"I deliver the Telegraph & Argus on my bike so that's extra training to keep my legs strong. It's like training for money!"

Tom has the chance to become overall New Zealand champion.

"I did the North Island championships, and the South Island championships are in a month's time and I'd love to go out there for that. I think I could win it because I've already beaten the national champion but I'm struggling to go because of school."

And he's not sure whether he will be able to defend his champion status next year.

Despite his success with mountain biking, the Bingley Grammar pupil has his sights firmly set on education and would love to go to university in New Zealand.

"I came back from holiday loving New Zealand and the lifestyle, it's a great place to live in and the ideal thing would be to go to university in Palmerston North."