Local tennis star Helen Crook suffered a heart scare as she prepared for the National Tennis championships held at Bolton just a couple of weeks ago.

The week before the championships Helen, the British number seven, was competing in Southampton in a £25,000 tournament but as she stepped on court for a qualifying match she felt unwell.

30-year-old Helen said: "My heart began suddenly to beat uncontrollably and I couldn't run or get my breath back, even after a two stroke rally."

The tournament doctor gave her an ECG and she was sent to hospital and linked up to heart monitors and oxygen.

She recovered from the scare well enough to compete in the Hastings Direct Nationals where as the number six seed she reached the quarter-finals in the ladies singles and was runner up in the ladies doubles with Lorna Woodroffe.

The British Olympic Association have put her in touch with CRY, a charity formed to raise awareness of cardiac risk in the young, sudden cardiac death and sudden death syndrome.

The charity organised for her to have a full screening and she was given a clean bill of health and has one of the best and healthiest hearts the cardiologist has seen.

Top players on the world stage have had similar scares notably Zavier Malisse at Wimbledon this year.

Published Friday November 15, 2002