A SPORTS team is banging the gong for Essex at a national competition.

The Essex Tug of War Club was set up by Owen Embleton in April and is made up of current and former Halstead Young Farmers.

Following a run of victories, the team was invited to the nationals in Carlisle on Saturday, returning with two medals.

They took silver in the catch-weight category and bronze in the 720kg weight category, making them the first novice team to win a medal at the nationals since 1974.

Halstead Young Farmers chairman Ben Hopkins has been a member of the team since it started.

He said: “Tug of war is a big part of our club, often representing the Eastern area at National Young Farmer level. As more of our members aged out but remained interested in the sport, we decided to create a club that allows us to compete across the county and outside of any age restrictions.”

The team is now looking for new members to train twice a week in Castle Hedingham and Tiptree, ahead of the European championships in Ireland in September.