ARTISTIC skaters from Orpington are on a roll after gliding off with the top two spots in British Championships.

Sixteen-year-old members of the Walnuts Leisure Centre-based Meridian Skating Club, Rachel Larking and Niall Stacey put on a wheelie-good show for the judges with their dances at the championships at Hayward Heath in the last week of July.

Every competitor in their junior category performed a compulsory dance with set steps before Rachel, from Canterbury, slid into top spot with a free dance to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.

Niall, from Orpington, took second with his moves inspired by the jazzy Sing, Sing, Sing and Sinatra’s Fly Me to the Moon.

The achievement is even more impressive because the pair are just getting their bearings at the junior age group, although Rachel was also British Cadet champion last year.

Head coach Wendy Murphy said: “For them to medal – let alone come first and second – was fantastic.”

Both skaters, who train about eight hours a week, will now represent Great Britain at the European Championships in Portugal later in the year.

Wendy said: “They are fantastic role models for all the young skaters that we have at our club, although they are super talented, they really work hard to get the results – I am really proud of them both.”