RULE Beckenham, Beckenham rules the waves or rather the swimming pool after annihilating the best swimmers Kent can offer.

In the Kent County Championships, Beckenham Swimming Club left the pool with a staggering 108 gold, 60 silver and 68 bronze medals.

Unsurprisingly they scooped the awards for top club, top women and top men along the way in a display of record breaking swimming.

From the 20 team relays alone Beckenham picked up 15 golds, a silver and two bronze meaning they finished outside the medal positions in just two of the races.

Head coach Tony Beckley said: "This is another great result for Beckenham and I'm delighted by the performance of all our swimmers.

"We now look forward to the London Regional Championships at Crystal Palace in June."

The annual Kent County Championships are held over six days and organised by the Kent Amateur Swimming Association.

This year more than 20 clubs from across Kent took part with Beckenham, based at The Spa, Beckenham Road, among the favourites.

Mark Lewis, 22, won the 100m and 200m men's butterfly, the 200m and 400m freestyle and the 200m and 400m individual medley breaking his own county records in the two 400m races.

Ellen Gandy, 14, won the 50m, 100m and 200m butterfly setting a new national age group record and smashing her own ladies and under-16 Kent county record in the 50m and 200m races.

Ellen also won the 100m individual medley as well as the 200m and 400m freestyle events, again setting new ladies and under-16 records.

Nadina Cameron won seven individual gold medals to take the top 13-year-old girl award and Michael Cook won four individual golds to take the top 14-year-old boy award.

Fifteen-year-old Chloe Ross won four gold medals while 14-year-old Ricky Outhwaite swam to five golds.

There was success for the younger swimmers too with nine-year-olds Louis Phillips and Leah Casey winning two and three gold medals respectively in their first ever county championships.

The championships finished with a thrilling final in the ladies 50m freestyle with Beckenham's 14-year-olds taking all three medals.

The field of six swimmers was separated by 1.63 seconds with Liesje Van der Velde pipping Ellen Gandy into second by 0.19 seconds.

Chloe Hart took bronze just 0.04 seconds behind Ellen with their nearest rival, a 17-year-old, more than half a second further back.

However, despite winning the trio of swimmer trophies, the club cannot display their wares.

This is after the Kent County Swimming Association failed, despite repeated attempts, to find someone to act as trophy controller.

It said: "Trophies will be available at the championships, duly presented and then immediately returned to the county for safe keeping."