World darts finalist Kirk Shepherd rubbed shoulders again with the biggest names in the sport when he reached the last 64 of the Blue Square UK Darts Open at the Reebok Stadium in Bolton last week.

The 21-year-old former factory worker from Ramsgate, in his first major event since grabbing the headlines and TV stardom in the PDC World Championships at the Alexandra Palace in January beat Dutchman Jan van der Rassel, before bowing out to Dean Jones of Wolverhampton.