WORLD champion arm wrestler Dawn Higson says she will have to use cash saved to defend her title to buy a car after a sponsorship mix up.

The 16-year-old powerhouse won the under-19s championships in South Africa last year and is aiming to hold on to the title in Japan next month.

But her dad, Andrew, says training plans have been put into disarray after they unexpectedly lost the car they had been provided with as sponsorship by the Bolton Kia dealers at Middlebrook.

Following her success the dealership agreed to provide Dawn, from Blackrod, with a Kia Sedona for her to use to travel to her twice daily training sessions in Rawtenstall, Leigh and Blackburn and competitions around the country.

Since they took delivery at the end of June Dawn and her dad have clocked up 7,500 miles in the car.

"We were over the moon, especially when we were told we would get a new one every six months," said Mr Higson.

But on Saturday, when Mr Higson took the car back to the dealers to have it re-taxed he was told the sponsorship deal was at an end.

"I had a car of my own but I sold it. Now we have got nothing. It wouldn't have been so bad if we had been given notice. I am gobsmacked," said Mr Higson.

"We will now have to use money saved for expenses in Japan to buy another car."

Mr Higson maintains that the sponsorship was open ended and he was not informed it would finish at the end of September, but the car dealers say the deal was only for three months and Mr Higson has misunderstood the arrangement.

"It was longer than we normally sponsor someone for. I thought we were quite generous in the first place," said Kia Bolton general manager Colin Aimer.

He added that most sponsorship arrangements are just for short periods like weekends.

"We wish Dawn well in her career but it is obvious that there has to be a finite limit to a sponsorship agreement."