A new Bradford mum has won a national golf contest - despite having to adapt her swing because she was pregnant.

Instead of putting her feet up during her pregnancy, Carol Firth spent it competing in qualifying rounds for the National Club Champions Cup - and competed in one round just nine days before the birth of her baby daughter Jessica.

And there was another reason to celebrate when she won the contest in Birmingham on Monday - just seven weeks after giving birth to her first child Jessica.

Carol beat seven other women finalists from across England to take the cup for the second time.

There were seven qualifying games which were held about every four weeks starting in March - when Carol was four months pregnant.

And at eight months she competed in one of the rounds held in Bradford.

Carol, 30, who lives at Dale Croft Rise in Allerton with her husband Tony, said: "I played golf all the way through my pregnancy - I even had to change my swing.

"I played up to the week before I gave birth and again nine days afterwards.

"I could have put my feet up and ended up like a beached whale, but playing golf kept me so fit - I'd never felt so well."

Carol's parents and three brothers all play golf and Carol took it up when she was 10.

"I'd love Jessica to take it up," she said. "My mum's already bought her some plastic golf clubs."

Her husband Tony, 33, who plays golf occasionally, said: "I knew she'd carry on playing but I didn't think she'd carry on for as long as she did.

"That's why I caddied for her so much.

"She lives for golf - she's done brilliantly."

Carol has been a member of Bingley St Ives Golf Club, where she also works behind the bar, since 1979. Golf club manager Mary Welch said: "This is the second time Carol's won it which is quite an achievement, particularly because she was pregnant.

"Everybody's thrilled she's won it again and everyone's proud of her."

Carol has also won the Bradford Open Golf Championship twice and wanted to defend her title but could not because she went into labour on finals day.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.