BELLRINGERS in Ideford are celebrating winning a prestigious competition.

The Major Final is the biggest six-bell competition in the county, held this year at Ashreigney in North Devon.

The finals followed three qualifying heats held in May with the top 12 teams earning the right to compete at the final and win the Ross Shield, first awarded in 1925.

The Ideford competition team was established in September, the idea of Will Carew.

He explained: ‘It was back in September last year that I first mooted the idea of setting up a new competition team based at Ideford with the deal being that we would get the bells ringing regularly on a Sunday.

‘David Aylmore, churchwarden; Ann Rigby-Jones, tower captain; and the local ringers enthusiastically agreed and we duly started our Sunday ringing the following month.

‘It has been wonderful to have so much support from the parishioners with regular applause and enthusiastic comments after each session.

‘It has also been great to see Ann at some of our ringing sessions and for her to comment on the high standard of ringing – praise indeed.’

At the final of the Devon Association of Ringers Major Final, the Ideford team took the Ross Shield and also the Jack Hine trophy for the best sequence of changes.

Shaugh Prior’s team were a very close second, beaten by just one fault.

Will added: ‘This was certainly the highlight of my ringing career and I know this sentiment is shared by team member Scott Adams who, having rung for a number of teams over the years, finally managed to win the Major Final after 30 years of trying.

‘I can speak for everyone in saying that we are all thrilled with this achievement; a day that will never be forgotten.

‘Here’s to Ideford 2018 and continuing to work together in the future.’

Also in the team were father and daughter Colin and Kate Avery, Steven Came and Phil Morse.