WEST Cheshire College has struck gold by landing Olympic hero Dame Kelly Holmes to present the prizes at its annual awards ceremony.

Double gold medallist Dame Kelly will visit the college’s Ellesmere Port campus on Friday to give awards to students who have excelled on their course or apprenticeship in the past year.

Dame Kelly triumphed in the 800m and 1,500m events at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.

She has since created the Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust to support young athletes and help the lives of young people across the UK.

Kelly will address students, families and college staff, talking about her Olympic and Commonwealth Games experiences, her pre-athletics career in the Army and her experiences since being made a dame in 2005.

Last year’s awards were presented by former England rugby player and Strictly Come Dancing favourite Austin Healey, who was so touched by the ceremony he is sponsoring one of this year’s prizes.

The college has welcomed a string of high-profile visitors to its new campuses this year, including chef Marco Pierre White, the Duke of Kent and former BBC reporter Kate Adie.