DOUCECROFT School pupils had their very own taste of the Olympics when they competed at the London Aquatics Centre.

The Colchester-based school took part in the South of England Panathlon Swimming Finals, at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

The event for children with disabilities and special educational needs was the culmination of regional qualifiers and was split into two heats.

Five London schools and five schools from elsewhere in the South East took part, with times compared to produce an overall winner.

Although Doucecroft finished fourth in their heat and missed out on the overall medal positions, the experience of competing in the venue which hosted the London 2012 swimming event was invaluable.

The sight of Tom Daley practising in the pool when they arrived - just two months before he competes in the Rio Olympics - made it even more special.

Doucecroft pupil Luke Noble, 13, said: "I really enjoyed swimming here because there's been loads of things to do.

"You get to go up against other people - it's competitive but fun.

"It's really unique because how many people get to swim special races in the Olympic swimming pool? It's a very rare opportunity."

Doucecroft School sports coach Andrea Griffiths said: "It's been so good - a lot of our students have never been to a venue this big before so it's a huge thing for them. It's been a bit overwhelming for some of them but they've dealt with it really well.

"For our school, panathlon has been fantastic. Our students, who so often get overlooked when it comes to sport, now believe they can compete.

"They've made new friends from different schools which is a massive thing for them."

Panathlon ambassador Liz Johnson, the triple Paralympic breaststroke medallist, was on hand throughout the day marshalling the event and hand out medals.

She said: "It's great to be back in this venue and it certainly gives the pupils the 'wow factor!'.

"It can be intimidating due its vast size but all the teams completely embraced it and were surrounding the poolside cheering on their team-mates in every event.

"I really enjoyed my role which meant I got to spend a lot more time interacting with the children during the competition and it's great to see how excited they get."