Hector Pardoe from Ellesmere has been selected to represent Great Britain in this Summer’s Glasgow 2018 European Championships marathon swimming squad.

Having just turned 17, he becomes one of the youngest ever male swimmers to have been selected to represent Great Britain at senior level.

Hector who trains with the Ellesmere College Titans elite programme, originally took up swimming competitively as a member of Whitchurch Wasps Swimming Club at the age of six.

As a silver medallist at this year’s Great North Swim in Lake Windermere and bronze medallist at the 2016 World Junior Championships in Hoorn, Hector will join Jazz Carlin, the 400m and 800m Rio Olympics silver medallist and Jack Burnell, silver medallist at the last Europeans competition in 2016.

Ellesmere Titans Head Coach Alan Bircher said: “This is an absolutely amazing achievement for Hector. It is a just reward for all of the hard work he puts into training."

The eight strong team will be taking to the open water in Loch Lomond - the largest inland stretch of water in Great Britain between August 8 and 12, which will see races over 5k, 10k and 25k.

The full squad comprises of Jack Burnell, Jazz Carlin, Alice Dearing, Polly Holden, Caleb Hughes, Danielle Huskisson, Hector Pardoe and Tobias Robinson.

GB Team Leader Bernie Dietzig said: “The swimmers we have been able to select for this squad will be really exciting to watch.

“We have the highly experienced open water swimmers with proven experience at performing when it matters, right through to young talent.