Haverstock’s fencers made it a winning hat-trick at the Beazley National Championships in Sheffield – as well as taking the silver in an all-Haverstock final.

Sixteen fencers travelled to Sheffield to compete in British Fencing’s showcase competition.

Haverstock have a proud history of excelling at the national tournament, and this year was no different as the men’s team of Greg Allen, Nick Perry and Gareth Thomas defeated all-comers to collect the club’s third national team title in a row.

In the final they overcame Haverstock’s second team – made up of Alistair Gerrard, Toby Blench and Jason Retter – who had fought their way through tough opposition to meet their clubmates in a climactic duel.

In the individual competition, Perry fenced well to earn himself a bronze medal, narrowly losing to the eventual champion.

Haverstock Fencing Club is based at Haverstock School on Haverstock Hill.

Sessions for adults and children are held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. For more information visit www.HaverstockFencing.net.

Meanwhile, Salle Paul Fencing Club from Hendon were also competing at the British Championships, and Alex Tofalides clinched gold.

The 21-year-old was joined in his success by team-mates Ben Peggs and 2012 Olympian Richard Kruse, who shared bronze medals in the men’s individual foil.

In a prolific weekend for the Hendon club, Salle Paul’s A team of Tofalides, Kruse, Peggs and Laurence Halsted took gold to win the national team championships.

The B team of Max Woollard, Peter Jordan, Tom Hendrie and Jamie Fitzgerald placed fifth in the team event, as well as achieving top 32 finishes in the individual foil.

The medal haul is a mark of the continued success of the club, which has moved to the first purpose-built modern fencing facility in Great Britain at the Leon Paul Fencing Centre in Hendon.