An 18-year-old from Neston has struck gold in Gothenburg – having been judged to be the very best in Europe.

Budding 3D game designer Daniel McCabe, who studied at West Cheshire College, pushed all the right buttons with judges at the EuroSkills Finals in Sweden.

Daniel was awarded the gold medal after months of training and three days of intensive competition.

He said: “I am absolutely delighted. It was a tough three days but I had a feeling that I had done well."

A Toyota engineer from Chester also walked away with a bronze medal from the championships.

Tom Revell, 24, and Sam Hillier, 23, from Loughborough, received their bronze gongs for Mechatronics.

Dr Neil Bentley, CEO of WorldSkills UK which oversees the regional, national competition, Team UK selection and preparation said: “Well done Daniel – you have made your nation proud.

“This competition is a microcosm of how the UK is doing against economies across Europe. You can see us competing cheek by jowl against the French, the Dutch, the Germans, the Scandinavians and others.

“The pressure that these people are under is ensuring that they compete at an international standard and it’s crucial for the economy and business that that they perform at that level.

“These young people are going back in to their workplaces and sharing that knowledge and experience – which helps businesses thrive and that’s what’s going to help businesses compete with others across the world.

“They are the future, the future of our economy, the future of our nation…they are going to help our economy grow.”

The 22-strong team cleaned up with four gold (in three disciplines) one silver, three bronze medals (in two disciplines) and eight Medallions of Excellence following three days of top-level competitions in a range of disciplines from beauty to bricklaying, cooking to carpentry, plumbing to plastering and web design.

More than 500 competitors from 28 nations across the continent were represented.

Dr Bentley added: “We are overjoyed – our best ever performance – just at the moment when we really need it.”