A Welwyn Garden City schoolboy has earned a place on the Team GB Talent Pathway for shooting after just two years competing in the sport and hopes to grace the Olympic Games one day.

Alfie Tibbles, a 13-year-old pupil at Monk’s Walk School, took up the sport after a taster lesson at the Lee Valley Shooting Association ground.

He has not looked back since, shooting every weekend. He begins training with the national scheme in March after enjoying a successful selection event in October.

The teenager said: “I have really enjoyed shooting from the very first time I tried it.

“This year will be tough as I really need to prove myself in more competitions.”

Alfie will be on the pathway for between two and four years and will be mainly based near Nuthampstead.

He has been entered into 16 competitions this year and they will start towards the end of this month and run until October.

The sport is an expensive one to compete in and per year the cost for ammunition, competition fees and training will be between £6000-£8000.

The young prospect has sponsorship from CPC/Laporte, producers of clay targets and the traps that launch them which are often featured in global games and the Olympics.

He also uses social media to promote the sport and to get sponsors and funding, via Twitter @alfietibbs and a crowd funding site that the Herts Sports Partnership helped to create bit.ly/2jLWvyq

Alfie, who hopes to shoot with Olympian Amber Hill and Team GB shooter Arron Heading who also have links with CPC/Laporte, added: “I appreciate all the support I have been given from family and friends and all the members at the LVSA shooting ground.”