Darren Crouch ended his self-imposed break from powerlifting in the best possible fashion.

He won the junior under-90kg title at the British Powerlifting Congress Championships at south Ruislip, in Middlesex, including a new British record record squat.

Crouch, 18, a trainee hairdresser who lives at South Ashford, was talked back into competing by coach Ian Douglas and is now targeting winning a place in next year’s world championships.

Crouch (pictuured) , who trains at Olympians Gym in the town, began his gold medal winning performance with a 282.5kg squat and followed that with a 150kg benchpress and a 260kg deadlift, on his way to a winning score of 692.5.

He admitted: "I got bored with it and it was down to Ian that I came back. He had a few chats with me at the gym. It was my first competition for three years and I won it."

Douglas, involved in the sport for 33 years, and a two-time world champion himself, used to run The Railway Gym, at the Old Railway Works in the town, before it closed down for re-development three years ago.

He added: "Darren has the potential to become world champion. His performance to win the British Championships was phenomenal."