ST HELENS swimmer Liam Carey collected six gold medals at the recent Lancashire County Championships spread over two weekends at Manchester Aquatics Centre.

The 11-year-old from Windle, who won the Pride of St Helens Young Sportsperson of the year award in November, has carried on impressing in the pool.

The dedicated youngster trains for 12 hours a week at St Helens Swimming Club under the tutelage of Paralympic gold medal winner and world record Heather Fredericksen Walmsley MBE.

And that work paid off for the Year Seven Rainford High School pupil.

He has become the under 12s Lancashire County Champion in six different disciplines by winning the gold medals in the 100 metres,200m,400m front crawl, 200 and 400m backstroke and the100 m butterfly.

And to complete a medal haul from Manchester Carey added a silver from his second-placed finish in the 200m Individual Medley and bronze in 50m backstroke.

Strong as a distance swimmer in the front crawl and backstroke, he has been swimming at Parr Baths with St Helens Swimming Club since he was five-years-old.

He has followed his sister Leanne into the swimming pool and initially he was driven by an eagerness to be as good as her.

And that drive is certainly paying off, and Carey is currently ranked in second in his age group in Great Britain for the 400m front crawl.

The hard work continues through the spring with his next big meet at the North West Regionals in the summer.