YORK karate king Liam O'Grady has added to his international medal collection by helping England juniors to UK Grand Slam gold.

The first Dan black belt, from Stockton Lane, was part of the three-man English team that took first place in the 16-21 years kumite (fighting) category at the meet in Chesterfield, which involved teams from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Already a European Under-21 champion, the former Huntington School pupil also took an individual third place in the junior event.

He was one of a number of successes to come out of the Harrogate Shotokan Karate Club at the meet.

Club instructor Matthew Price, a fourth Dan black belt from Harrogate, remarkably claimed a seventh UK Grand Slam individual title, while his teaching partner at their Boston Spa club, Nick Heald, was third in the same event.

Price, sponsored by Harrogate's Quest Gates Partnership, went on to captain the five-man England team, which included Heald, to victory in the team kumite, and completed the weekend's haul with a silver in the male kata (set form) event.

Club members also had a successful time at the North West Open Karate Championships in Wigan.

Steven Mooney and Andy Sylvester, competing for the first time, took first and third place, respectively, in the below brown belts male kumite, while Richard Zealand, a second Dan who had just turned 16, was second in the 16-21 years male kumite.

First Dan Rob Taylor was third in the senior male kata, while assistant instructor Maria Price, a third Dan, won the ladies senior kata event.

Harrogate instructor Matthew Price will next compete at the Japanese Karate Association's European Championships in Sweden next month. Anybody interested in learning karate can contact him on 01423 549618.

Updated: 11:02 Saturday, March 09, 2002