TRANENT bowls star Dee Hoggan is celebrating after she was crowned the new British Isles ladies’ singles champion.

Hoggan, of Tranent Bowling Club, beat Judith Wason of Wales in the final to take the title at Belmont Bowling Club in Belfast on Saturday.

The 28-year-old said she was “thrilled to bits” at getting her hands on the coveted trophy.

She added: “I’ve been aiming at this for the past 12 months and to climb that mountain is fantastic.”

Hoggan – holder of the Scottish title – employed a long-jack tactic to great effect as she forged into a 20-14 lead and, although Wason menacingly closed to 20-19, she retained a sharp focus throughout to clinch a 21-19 win over the Wales champion in 25 ends.

In a post on Facebook, Hoggan, who works at Charles River Laboratories at Elpinstone, dedicated the win to her uncle John McCrorie.

She added: “Seventeen years ago I was at Belmont Bowling Club where I should have been watching my uncle John have the chance at a British singles title himself having won the Scottish singles in 2000.

“After booking his accommodation and travel he found out that the Scottish Bowling Association didn’t have an entry in any of the events that year. . . we went over anyway in the hopes that he’d be allowed to compete but no such luck.

“Uncle John, this one’s for you!”

Former Ross High School pupil Hoggan also thanked everyone who had supported her as messages of congratulations flooded in.

East Lothian bowling legend Willie Wood, a veteran of eight Commonwealth Games, passed on his congratulations on Facebook, while Wilna Knox – who like Hoggan is a Tranent resident and is chairwoman of the town’s gala committee – said: “You’ve made Tranent very proud, Dee. Congratulations, you’re a star.”

Gordon Pryde praised her performance as “different class”, while Kevin Cunningham, Hoggan’s boyfriend, said he was “absolutely over the moon”.

Hoggan is already looking forward to the World Champion of Champions in Australia in October.