HARROGATE trio Nick Heald, Zoe Starr and Joe Finlay all took individual titles at the North of England Shotokan Karate Championships.

There was also team success for the Granby High School-based club with Heald joining fellow club instructor Matthew Price and Duncan Randall to defeat York Kenshinkan 2-0 and win the Kumite (fighting) title at the Barnsley Metrodome.

National champion Price, a fourth dan, was unable to compete for individual honours because he is an international fighter but former international Heald, a fifth dan, competed for the first time in ten years and won the Kumite event.

It was his fourth win in the event with his first coming back in 1986.

Starr finished the day as the junior girls' Kumite champion and Finlay, who was third at this year's Children's National Championships, won the Ippon Kumite (prearranged fighting).

His team-mate Liam Wellacott was third while Richard Zealand, also from Harrogate, finished in the same position in the junior 16-17 years Kumite competition.

The junior Kata (set form) team of Jordan Probst, Ryan Tucker and Jamie Bending finished second with Bending fourth in the individual event.

Price now goes on to captain the England team at next month's European Shotokan Karate Championships in Sunderland.

Randall has also been selected for that competition following his performance at Barnsley.

Updated: 11:13 Wednesday, November 19, 2003