FORMER York City Baths Club star Robin Frances broke his own British record for the second time in a day in winning a silver medal at the European Short Course Swimming Championships being held in Antwerp.

Great Britain boosted its medal tally with three silvers and a bronze on day two of the European Short Course Championships in Antwerp.

He finished second in the men's 400 metres medley in a time of 4min 8.49sec.

Francis, 19, from York, who is a student at Bath University, the club he now represents, cut a staggering 5.18sec off his personal best in one day.

"It was beyond what I expected," he said later.

Earlier in the day he broke his record the first time when winning his heat.

In the final he was econd to the Italian defending champion and world long-course champion, Alessio Boggiatto, who took gold in 4:06.39.

Britain's James Gibson took silver in the men's 100m breaststroke in 59.23sec.

Sarah Price, the British and Commonwealth record holder, won silver in the 100m backstroke and James Hickman won bronze in the 100m butterfly.

Updated: 11:40 Saturday, December 15, 2001