Chris West has become one of the youngest winners of the boys' under-15s event at the Sussex Schools Cross Country Championships.

The Bishop Luffa pupil from Chichester, aged 13 years and one month, stormed home at Stanmer Park (Brighton and Hove).

In-form West, a silver medal winner at the South Of England under-13s championships, was tipped for a top-ten place.

But he exceeded all expectations with the help of astute tactics. West, runner-up in the county under-13s event at Bexhill, tucked in with group of four runners for the first of the two laps.

He made his burst shortly after half-distance and only Sussex under-13 champion Matt Barrie (Blatchington Mill, Brighton and Hove) was able to stay with him. But West swept clear to win the 4km race in 13min.57sec.

West is just three months younger than Barrie who held on to second place despite a determined run in the closing stages by the Martin Cooke, 14, from St Richards, Bexhill.

West said: "I'm really pleased. I did not really expect to win as I thought Matt was going to again and I did not know much about the runners who were at the top end of the age group.

"It is the best course I have run on and I enjoyed the hills."

The boys also produced the most exciting race of the day in the under-17s' event.

Stephen Jules (Filsham Valley) led the 5.5km race from the start and looked set for a comfortable victory.

But Tom Bilham (Midhurst Grammar) stormed down the finishing straight and just failed to pip Jules on the line. Both runners were credited with the same time of 18min.22sec.

Matthew Dumigan (Worthing High) took the bronze medal, 30 seconds later.

Favourites Charlotte Browning (Chichester High) and Emily Goodhall (Oathall, Haywards Heath) claimed the girls' titles.

Charlotte (Chichester High), the South Of England under-15 champion collected her third successive title when she took the under-17s' crown to follow two under-15s wins.

She beat reigning champion Katy Moore (Brighton and Hove High) by 16 seconds.

Cheryl Heath (Hillcrest, Hastings), who won the Sussex under-17 title from Katy last month, was a further 19 seconds back in third place.

Goodhall, fifth last year, won the under-15s' race by 80m in 12min.18sec with Kate Kaye (Farlington) third, a similar distance adrift.

In the area team events, it was a virtual clean sweep for Brighton and Hove who, like last year, won three of the four titles.

Brighton and Hove were runners-up to Mid Sussex in the under-15 girls' event.

The championships marked a return to Stanmer Park after ten years.