SPORTING youngsters are celebrating their fifth place in this year's London Youth Games.

More than 500 young people represented Bexley in a series of sports over a six-week period.

This year's contest was closer than ever, with just 22 points separating the first five places.

Highlights for Bexley included gold medals in weightlifting, girls' artistic gymnastics, boys' floor and vault gymnastics and silvers in aquathlon, which combines swimming and running, diving and boys' hockey.

There were also improvements for the borough's trampolining team, who came in fourth, and fifth places for boys' athletics and girls' basketball.

More than 22,000 young people from London's 32 boroughs and the City of London took part in this year's event, the 31st annual London games.

Bexley Council cabinet member for leisure, art and culture Councillor Peter Catterall said: "We are fortunate to have a wealth of young sporting talent in Bexley, for which this event is an ideal showcase."