Barnet school players showcased their skill with the bat wt the Jack Petchey London and Essex Schools' Table Tennis Singles finals on Saturday.

Pupils from the London Academy in Edgware and St Michael's Catholic Grammar School in Finchley took part in the competition at SportsDock in east London, competing across four age groups, Under-11, 13, 16 and 19 in boys' and girls' categories.

In total around 90 players took to the tables to ping their way to victory, and London Academy's Patricia Ianau, aged 14, was the girls' Under-16 winner, triumphing 10-12, 11-8, 12-10, 11-8 in the final.

She is already looking forward to next year's tournament and said: “This was a great competition and I am so glad I won at last. I love table tennis and can’t wait to defend my title.”

Barnet had the girls' Under-19s section sewn up before the final, with St Michael's Jasmine Chan, 18, winning 4-11, 14-12, 9-11, 11-9, 11-9 in a nailbitingly tight clash over Natalia Ianau.

Yacine Boubekeur, from London Academy, was runner up in the boys' Under-13 event, losing harshly 2-11, 2-11, 2-11 in the final.