Kilwinning weightlifter Bill Despard won gold at the British Masters Championships at the weekend - at the age of 88.

He also broke three British records including the snatch and clean jerk.

The only down side to his weekend of competition was a shoulder injury.

A delighted Bill said: "I'm very happy but I b***ered my shoulder. It's all part of it."

Earlier this year Bill, who can lay claim to being Scotland's oldest-ever competitive weightlfter, won a silver medal at the World Masters Weightlifting Championship in Poland.

He has run the Kilwinning Olympic Weightlifting Club for more than 20 years and shows no signs of giving up his career - despite getting a new hip two years ago.

It wasn't the first health scare he has suffered.

Bill revealed: "I took up weightlifting in 1950, when I was 15. I was an apprentice plumber and I had been doing body building.

"But I got cancer and had my right breast taken away, and I knew I couldn't continue with that.

"So I went to a club in Motherwell and spoke to them about taking up weightlifting, then asked to join - and that was that."

Now he's coaching youngsters who he firmly believes could be champions some day.

He revealed: “I love the sport. It’s been good to me physically.

“I just feel that if I can get kids off the streets and teach them an Olympic sport, and help them get out of difficulties, that would be great.

“We had loads of members but Covid killed us. We’ve got 14 members at the moment and we have moved to new premises.

“I don’t care if they’re 100-years-old, anyone can join in."

“I’ve never made a penny out of it. It’s my life, it’s everything I know in life.”