ATHLETICS: WEST Cheshire AC will be attempting to break a world re-cord next month on the day that Dame Tanni Grey Thompson officially opens their new track.

Britain's most successful paralympic athlete will be unveiling the facility on Thursday, April 28.

Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council's principal venues officer Miles Veitch said: 'Tanni will unveil a plaque to commemorate the opening and will then fire the starting pistol to signal the start of the annual West Cheshire Schools' Track and Field Cup competition.'

The opening ceremony will also be preceded by a 4x100-metre relay world record attempt involving some 2,000 children from local primary and secondary schools.

The youngsters will bid to break the number of baton changes over the course of the relay, which currently stands at 690.

Other guests at the opening ceremony include Andrew Miller MP, Mayor Cllr Brian Jones, dignitaries from Cheshire County Council, Sport England, UK Athletics, the AAA of England and members of athletics clubs from the borough, Cheshire and surrounding areas.

The track comes as a result of seven years' planning and more than 20 years of waiting for a top-class athletics venue to serve the communities of Ellesmere Port and Chester.

Mr Veitch said: 'The new facility will help the development of athletes from across the borough. The complex offers a six-lane 400m track and full field event facilities, which will be used to stage this summer's Cheshire Youth Games, the first to be held away from Macclesfield.

'The track is managed in part-nership and partly-funded by the borough council, Stanney High School and West Cheshire Athletics Club.

'The majority of the funding has come from a Sports England lottery grant, with additional sponsorship from Shell UK, Vauxhall Motors, Cleanaway, Urenco, Wren, the Epicentre Partnership and Associated Octel.'

WCAC youngsters Michael Lyness and Carl Van Schie have demonstrated their versatility at major events in Birmingham and Cardiff respectively.

Michael produced a gold-medal performance in the standing triple jump competition at the National Sportshall Champion-ship Final held at Birmingham's National Indoor Arena with 7.50m.

Carl scored a new personal best points total of 2,697 to finish seventh in the AAA Indoor Combined Events Pentathlon Championships held in Cardiff.