FOUR months after losing his costumes in a devastating fire teenage skating star Jamie Whyte has collected another national title.

Despite being unable to train for a month after a blaze badly damaged the family home on Easter Monday, the 14-year-old from Norley showed his class by lifting the British solo intermediate ice dance title at Nottingham.

Jamie and his parents, Adam and Pat, who have run the Delamere Forest Inn for 15 years, are still waiting to move back in and have been living with neighbours.

But the disruption to his life hasn't deterred Jamie who trains up to eight hours a day, often seven days a week, in his quest to represent Great Britain at the Olympic Games.

He is currently taking a rare break from training while on holiday in France with his god-parents, but he will soon be back to concentrate on his next target, the primary qualifers for the British couples' championships with Bradford-based Stephanie Walker, his partner in a successful Deeside open doubles bid earlier this year.

Jamie, who trains under coaches Joan Slater, Keith Hudson and Jean-Paul de Loose at Altrincham, lost many of his trophies in the fire and it was feared he would have to abandon his plans for the year when his expensive costumes were destroyed.

But a new one was made and he responded by by winning qualifiers in Kent and Altrincham before capturing the national solo crown in the under 19 category.

Jamie started skating when he was three and began entering competitions five years ago with great success.

Last year, when he was 13, he was crowned the British under-16 solo champion Said his mother: 'Jamie is very dedicated, but he has had a lot of help from his coaches and Altrincham ice rink who have given him free time on the ice.

'We also owe a lot to our neighbours who have put us up since the fire.'