Rising Hartlepool darts star Callum Beddow gets tips from the top from world champion Glen Durrant

Callum Beddow, from Hartlepool, is heading off to Gibraltar this weekend to take part in the Junior Darts Corporation’s World Championships.

Callum, who is 15 and a pupil at English Martyrs School, first took part in the event last year and is hoping to improve on his 2021 performance after reaching a quarter final.

He automatically qualified due to his results on the Advanced Junior Darts Championship Tour.

Callum, who lives in the Rift House area of town, is one of its top 32 young players.

He has played in 12 events on the advanced tour so far this year and reached the final of one and the semi final of another.

"All in all it's been a great year," said dad Paul.

Over the last year, Callum has been mentored by Middlesbrough pro Glen Durrant, who won the BDO World Championships three years in a row from 2017 to 2019.

Paul said: "That's been really productive. Glen is helping him with his game, concentration and composure."

Paul said the pair got to know each other after Callum nearly beat Durrant in an exhibition game at the age of seven.

He also praised Hartlepool darts player Adam Atkinson for supporting Callum and thanked Made For Trade, in Billingham, and Lister Street News, in Hartlepool, for becoming Callum’s latest sponsors.

Callum began playing darts when he was just three and was so small when he started to beat adults that he needed a step to retrieve his flights from the board.