A Dorchester school is celebrating a sporting double - carrying off the coveted Sportsmark Award and the South West Dorset Under-13s football cup.

Dorchester Middle School, in Queen's Avenue, has been awarded the Sportsmark Award after showing exceptional commitment to after school and extra curricular sports activities - as well as variety and depth within the curriculum.

The school's large range of clubs and activities, spearheaded by PE head Suzanne Hegarty, impressed officials at Sport England on the first application.

Miss Hegarty said: "I'm so chuffed for everyone.

"They have all worked so hard - the children, the parents and the teaching assistants - to get this award.

"We've run every club you could expect in a middle school and when we applied I had to put down how many children attended the clubs. The award lasts for three years and everybody was so thrilled they presented me with a bouquet of flowers."

While the school celebrated the award, its under-13s football team members were busy carrying off the cup for the Bridport to Weymouth area school teams.

Miss Hegarty added: "A couple of the players train with the Bournemouth and Southampton youth training schemes, but they're a good strong team all round.

"They did so well to win the cup against schools like Wey Valley, Puddletown and all the other eligible schools in the area."