HOOLE martial artist Richard Jones high-kicked his way to a world tae kwon-do title in Telford.

The 40-year-old won gold in the executive men’s division at the TAGB World Championships.

More than 1,800 students of the Korean discipline from the UK, central Europe, Asia, America, Australia and South America attended the competition.

Jones, who trains with Richard Saunders’ Wirral and Chester School of Tae Kwon-do at the Northgate Arena, also runs his own tae kwon-do schools at Kelsall, Duddon and Tattenhall, giving young students the opportunity to learn from someone at the top of their game.

He is a fourth dan black belt and took up the martial art in 1988. Since then he has been a British and European champion and has also captained the Welsh tae kwon-do team.

The Chester club returned from Telford celebrating three other world crowns at junior levels.

Ellen Candeland, 15, Jamie Orman, 10, and Mathew Pearce, 15, all won gold in their individual belt divisions.

Nathan Saunders, aged nine, claimed a world bronze medal in the boys’ black belt division and Hannah Roberts, 14, finished third in the girls’ black belt division for both sparring and pattern work.

Joe Johnson took bronze in the boys’ blue belt sparring contest at just eight years of age.

In the men’s divisions, University of Chester student Richard Edwards, 23, took silver in the patterns and a bronze in sparring.

Senior instructor Richard Saunders said: “It was a fabulous achievement for the club and we are delighted to have returned home with so many medals.”