A Bolton News freelance photographer has been crowned a world champion in his field.

Maurice Jones, of Ladybridge, is a member of the Wigan 10 Foto Club, which clinched the first World Club Photographic Championship.

A panel of judges from the International Federation of Photographic Art placed the club, which has only 12 members, ahead of 150 rivals across 85 nations including India, Austria and Vietnam.

The photographers will collect their prize at a ceremony in Paris in March.

Wigan 10, formed in 1988, comprises amateurs and professionals. Members won regional and national competitions to earn the right to represent England.

Mr Jones, a former geography teacher at George Tomlinson School, has been a club member for about 10 years and two of his pictures were among the club's entry of 20 images.

One, entitled Uppercut, showed boxer Clinton Woods in his recent bout with Glen Johnson at Bolton Arena. The other, Handoff, shows two young rugby league players in action.

Maurice was last week awarded a medal at the Smethwick International Photographic Competition for another picture entitled Flattened, taken during rugby league's Leigh Centurions match with Lokomtiv Moscow.