Shenfield has its own national champion fencer after Mariette Mason won the British Intermediate Women's Foil Championship.

Mariette, 42, from Chelmsford Road, who fences for the Wickford Club, had qualified for the national finals by finishing in the top four in the regional competition.

In Manchester on Saturday she faced fencers from all over the country who had also fought their way through the regional qualifiers.

Mariette started badly in the seeding rounds of the finals and went into the knockout stages with a poor seeding, which meant she had to face the better fences early on.

However, a series of outstanding performances saw her battle her way to the final, putting out several fancied fencers on the way.

In the final she faced the local favourite, Penny Tyson. Despite being behind 13-11 at a late stage in the fight, Mariette took the championship on the deciding hit to win by the narrowest of margins in fencing 15-14.

"I certainly made things difficult for myself by starting so slowly, but once I got into the knockout stages I felt confident," she said. "By the time I got to the final, I thought I knew I could win the Championship.

"Even when I was behind I still believed I could beat her. On the final hit I wasn't at all nervous - unlike my supporters - and just went for it.

"What was really great was that all the other Eastern region fencers stayed for the final and gave me tremendous support. That helped me no end."

Mariette holds the title for a year and was presented with an engraved silver salver to show off to her delighted family.

Top girl . . Mariette Mason is pictured with the silver salver which she was presented with after becoming the British Intermediate Women's Foil Champion in Manchester on Saturday.

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