BENFLEET teenager Matthew Hamilton returned from the Sainsbury’s 2014 School Games with an armful of gold and silver medals won on the cycling track.

Fresh from his successes in a GB vest on the athletics track at the International Wheelchair & Amputee Sports Federation World Junior Games, he swopped running spikes for cycling cleats.

The 17-year-old scooped gold in the 2000m pursuit, 200m flying start event and the Keirin - which sees rides paced in by a special motorcycle.

But his on track success at the national cycling centre in Manchester did not stop there as he also bagged silver medals in both the 500m and 1000 time trial events.

King John school Hamilton – who has a condition called Erbs Palsy – was inspired by watching sport at the London Games in 2012.

He was cheered on in the north west by his mother Tracey Hamilton.

And she admitted: “My voice is just about coming back. I was hoarse for a couple of days because I’d been cheering him on.

“He knew that he had a good chance in the 200m flying start event but the other medals were more of a surprise.

“This is the first time that the School Games has run solo cycling events. It was a tough three days for Matthew. He won two medals on Friday, two on Saturday and the last one on Sunday.

“The School Games are treated like a mini Olympics and I only got one text from him during the Games.

“He’s always been quite good on racing bikes, but I think that for next season the plan is to concentrate more on his athletics.

He had been spotted by coaches on the British Cycling programme but was also singled out for attention by British Athletics bosses who noticed his running track skills and edged him towards the longer sprint events including the 400m. But Hamilton is also trying to keep up with his A Level studies in photography, Spanish, psychology and catering.