Brighton dominated the Sussex 50m Sprint Relay Championships at Crawley Leisure Centre with seven victories and three records.

Their girls' retained the born-1986 and born-1987 freestyle and medley relay titles, setting championship-bests in both events for the second year in succession.

Amy Kent and Kirsty Hedge, who helped set last year's records, were joined by Claire Manton and Emma Dean for the latest double triumph.

Claire, a Blatchington Mill (Hove) pupil, said: "I love the sprints. There was such a team spirit."

The awesome foursome clocked 1min.52.09sec in the freestyle, clipping four seconds off last year's time. They shaved five seconds off the medley best with 2min.05.80sec.

Isobel Rogers, Hannah Belameh, Emma Eaves and Rachel Boxall teamed up for another Brighton freestyle and medley double in the girls' born-1990 and born-1991 age group.

Their freestyle victory in 2min.3.26sec beat Bognor's record by two seconds.

Brighton completed their third double when the boys' born-1990 and 1991 team of Daniel Maggs, Joseph Dowd, Tom Rooke and Ryan Bhimji secured freestyle and medley victories.

Brighton reached seventh heaven when Kayleigh Mellors, Laura West, Holly White and Jade Tate won the girls' born-1988 and 1989 medley. They also won a bronze medal behind winners Haywards Heath and runners-up Hastings Seagull in the freestyle.

The club's girls' 1992 and 1993 team were third in the freestyle and medley The fourth record time was set by Hastings Seagull in the boys' born-1985 or earlier freestyle.

Trevor Gaunt, Christopher Varrell, Nick Hart and Thomas Dewhurst clocked 1min.40.20sec to better the previous record by half-a-second. The team also won the medley in a best 1min.52.88sec..

Hastings gala secretary Steve Paine said: "We used to dominate Sussex swimming. We won the county league six years in a row. Brighton have been on top for the last couple of years but we started to edge back last year and the relays showed we are continuing to close the gap."

Crawley, Haywards Heath and East Grinstead also doubled in the boys' events.

Burgess Hill and Haywards Heath earned two victories apiece in the girls' races.

Competing clubs included: Worthing, Burgess Hill, Littlehampton, Brighton, Shiverers (Hove), East Grinstead, Crawley, Atlantis (Horsham), Bognor, Smith's Squad (Eastbourne), Beacon (Crowborough), Brighton Dolphin, Eastbourne, Hailsham, Hastings, Haywards Heath, St Bede's (Upper Dicker), 1066 Swimmers (Hastings).

BEN Hutchinson returned from holiday to win two junior gold medals at the British Shortcourse Championships in Cambridge.

The 15-year-old Crawley club swimmer won the 50m butterfly and 50m backstroke against rivals a year older than himself.

Hutchinson also secured a silver medal in the 50m freestyle and won bronze medals in the 100m freestyle and 100m backstroke.

He said: "I surprised myself with how well I did. I'd been in France on a family holiday. Maybe I will take a few more holidays before big events if it means I do as well as I did in Cambridge."

Hutchinson (25.85sec) was 0.37sec outside the 50m butterfly record held by British Olympian Mark Foster.

He said: "I would like to beat Mark's record. I have to do it before my 16th birthday on December 3. My last chance will be at the Southern Counties Championships at Crystal Palace two days earlier."

Hutchinson swam against Foster in the 50m freestyle and fellow international James Hickman in the 100m butterfly as organisers mixed up races to include senior and junior events.

Claire Manton (Brighton) won a junior bronze medal in the 100m individual medley.

Ben, an Imberhorne (East Grinstead) pupil, and former title holder Claire are in the national schools championship finals qualifier at Southampton on Saturday.

They are part of a Sussex team competing against Dorset, Hampshire and the Channel Islands for the right to represent Division 12 in the nationals.

Sussex squad boys junior: Jack Smith (Brighton), Andrew Bayne (Crawley), David Muldoon (Shiverers, Hove), Andrew Eaton (Hastings), Edward Pitt (Hastings), Ben Short (Crawley), Alex Sobolev (Brighton), Carl Mitchell (Bognor).

Intermediate: Ben and Chris Hutchinson (Crawley), Mark Harrington (Crawley), Tom Cunningham (Crawley), James Lawton (Hastings), Ben McIvor (St Bede's, Upper Dicker), Danny Sivers (Eastbourne), Duncan Harvey (Crawley), Adam Stoakley (Hailsham).

Senior: Trevor Gaunt (Hastings), Alex Witherspoon (St Bede's), Philip Welbourne (St Bede's), Chris Sutton (Brighton), Jonathan Streeter (Crawley), Paul Lindsay (Crawley).

Girls junior: Jemma Lowe (Chichester), Jodie Miller (Haywards Heath), Holly White (Brighton), Sarah Richards (Hastings), Claire Baronovski (Midhurst), Emma Eaves (Brighton), Natasha Holt (Hastings), Rebecca Mintrim (Crawley), Julie Pilcher (Worthing), Intermediate: Claire Manton (Brighton), Vicky Leigh (St Bede's), Stacey Lamb (Crawley), Lisa Mitchell (St Bede's), Olivia Davies (Crawley), Becky Collard (Crawley), Laura West (Brighton), Cheryl Miller (Bognor).

Senior: Amy Kent (Brighton), Kirsty Hedge (Brighton), Hannah Keen (Hastings), Lauren Hemsley (Eastbourne), Katie Murcombe (Haywards Heath), Nicole Read (Shiverers).