Thomas Hickman in fifth English title

Dudley's Thomas Hickman took a fifth straight title from the English Karate Championships at the Ponds Forge Sports Centre in Sheffield.

The 17-year-old from Woodsetton now has five titles from seven runs in the competition after four contests in yesterday's annual event.

Hickman saw off old adversary Jerome Brown in the fifth time the two competitors have met, running out a 4-0 winner in the final.

It was Hickman's first time up at 75kg but the jump in weight class did little to knock the talented teen out of his stride.

The junior world champion, a second dan black belt, had already registered 8-0 and 9-0 wins before meeting Alex Rigg in the semi-final.

Rigg was brushed aside with similar ease in a 8-0 victory setting up the final against Brown, a team-mate in the sport's England team.

And Brown put up a fight and did manage to cut off more of Hickman's attacks than the opponents who preceeded him.

But it was not enough to prevent Hickman, who didn't drop a point all afternoon, romping home by virtue of a 4-0 success.

Hickman has now won an English title, junior and senior honours at the Porto Open in Portugal and a gold medal in Sweden since his world success last year.