Havering Sports Council’s sports award winners for 2017 were revealed at their annual presentation night, sponsored by McDonald’s Restaurants of Romford, on Monday.

Captains Lee Shaw and Linda Graham welcomed allcomers to Upminster Golf Club, before Mayor of Havering Cllr Linda van den Hende spoke of her own sporting background.

And the first award recipient of the night was county and national champion javelin thrower Max Law, who beat county badminton champion Liam Purton to the junior competitor of the year prize.

Multi-titled Geoff Webb, from Romford Rifle & Pistol Club, pipped ice skating champion Graham Newberry – currently attending the Winter Olympics as part of the British Olympic Association’s ambition programme – to the competitor of the year award, following a trophy-laden 12 months.

And Bradley Donovan took the disability competitor of the year award after leading Harold Wood and Essex to success, as athletics champion Kieran O’Hara finished runner-up.

The volunteer of the year prize was presented to Sam Harrison, a Havering AC member who has been guiding Law, as 16-year-old tennis coach Elise Donn claimed the runner-up prize.

And the school team categories turned out to be in-house battles between co-finalists from Coopers Coborn and St Edward’s.

The under-19 gymnastic team from Coopers took the senior school prize after a national double, pipping the junior girls’ athletics squad, and the athletics team from St Edward’s held off their classmates from the water polo squad for the primary school honours.

The club of the year award went to Havering AC, following another fine spell of track, field and cross-country athletics, as newly-founded Havering Triathlon Club had to settle for second best this time.

And the Doug Riden Lifetime Achievement award was handed to Hornchurch resident Warren Roe, having called time on a lengthy career of athletics coaching at Havering.

Awards were sponsored by: West & Coe Funeral Directors, MDS Printers Ltd, Clly John Mylod, the Beadle family, Brentwood M & E Services Ltd, Cllr Melvin Wallace, DMS Fencing and McDonald’s Restaurants Romford.