Two handlers from South Wiltshire are celebrating scooping a much-coveted title, which no-one will ever have the chance to take away from them, at Crufts.

Tilshead couple Apryl and Richard Britton and their dog Halo took part in the prestigious dog show last weekend and came away with a wealth of medals and rosettes after winning the small category of the Agility Relay with their team Nedlo Mighty Midgets.

Apryl, 31, who has been training for about eight years, said: “It’s a huge achievement. I’m very chuffed with my own dog and the whole team. What’s better than winning Crufts?”

The team, which last year came fourth, is made of four handlers and four dogs: Apryl and five-year-old Shetland sheepdog Halo, her husband Richard and seven-year-old Yippee, also a Shetland sheepdog, Tracy Ryan and cocker spaniel Izzie and Tracy’s son Jack and rescue dog Jet, a Pomeranian.

The group train at dog agility camp, Nedlo Agility, near Romsey and qualified for Crufts after winning two competitions at Nottingham and Bristol last year.

Taking about how the team got on when they competed in Birmingham on Saturday, Apryl, who works as a civil servant, said: “We ran in the main arena and we were the first ones to run out of eight teams.

“It was quite a complicated course and every other team had at least one person eliminated.”

Being the first team to start was “an advantage” as “we put the pressure on everybody else”. However, as more teams showed off their skills Apryl admitted they were all “extremely anxious”.

The realisation they had won the title came when the last team made a mistake.

“It was a difficult feeling actually because you obviously want to celebrate but you’re conscious that other people are still competing so you’re excited, but you don’t want to rub it in.

“This was the last team event at Crufts because they’ve introduced a new height for the dogs to jump so they had to take something out to make time in the schedule for next year which means no-one will ever take away our title which is a good place to be.”

Next weekend, Apryl and Halo will take part in another competition in Melton Mowbray for a chance to join Team GB.

If selected, they will go on to compete in the European Opens Agility Championships and the World Championship 2020 later in the year.