STEVE ALLMARK is back at work in his Deal Pier tackle shop this week after helping England win the team title in the world sea angling championship in Portugal.

Allmark, who lives in Dover, was in the five-man England team which edged hosts Portugal into second place, with France third in the four-day competition contested by 13 nations in Troia.

The 43-year-old was also a member of the England team which won the world title in Ireland in 1996, but he rates this latest triumph as a much finer achievement.

He said: “We think it’s the best result that England have ever had in the world, because the conditions were so different to what we are used to, and Portugal were red hot favourites before the start.

“We had to use really light lines and tackle. On the final two days, we had really heavy seas, with massive 30-feet waves coming at you.”

Allmark, who finished 15th in the individual competition, added: “I would like to thank EuroTunnel for their sponsorship support and the National Federation of Sea Anglers and the Sports Council for the help they gave us.”

* Deal angler Joyce Rogers was in the England team which finished fourth in the women’s competition in Portugal.