A dance champion has smashed a world record by dancing for 12 hours on an electronic dance machine.

Lord of the dance - Brian Milton. Picture: STEVE ARGENT

Brian Milton, 21, of Marine Parade East, Clacton, went on an endurance marathon yesterday when he danced his way into the record books and raised money for Imperial Cancer Research.

Former Clacton County High School student Brian is ranked second in the UK for dancing on an electronic machine following the Konami Internet Challenge in August and number seven in the all-time top 100 in the UK.

Although they are still awaiting confirmation from the Guinness Book of World Records, judges from the Woolwich bank, where Brian works, watched him beat the current record of about nine hours. It all started at 9am yesterday at the Magic City amusement arcade in Pier Avenue.

Brain said today he felt fantastic, but tired with aching feet, tired legs and bruised knees.

He said: "It went really well. After a couple of hours, I started to get a bit tired, then by the six hours mark, that was when the aches and pains started coming. It was difficult."

In the last hours, his parents kept asking how he was and if he could go on but he was determined to finish it.

After the event, he dropped to his knees, had a bit of a rest, went home and changed and then went out for a drink with friends. He hopes to have raised about £750 for Imperial Cancer Research, which Barclays Bank said they would double.

Published Thursday November 29, 2001