ANGIE GAUGHAN has discovered solitary confinement has its benefits - after becoming England's women's singles champion at petanque.

The Acomb player has been playing the sport, based on a version of the French game boules, for 12 years but had usually been part of a team. Excelling in triples, the 57-year-old went to the European Championships in 2005.

But after playing in a regional event at Bridlington and beating renowned performer Alan Swift in the final, Gaughan branched out into singles and decided to take part in the national championship in Nottingham.

"I play along with my sister-in-law and we went for the day. We were going out for a Thai meal and staying overnight," she said. "I won it and burst into tears."

Now Gaughan will take on the world's best, as England's representative at the petanque World Championships in Nice, France, in January. To reach the milestone, she defeated Chilton's Sarah Huntley - considered one of the best female players in the country - 13-11.

"I've never really played singles," added the Wigginton league player. "It is a totally different game. When you play triples you have a dedicated pointer and shooter and in singles you have to do everything.

"I am not a very good shooter so I decided to point them all to death. Now I am going to the world championships and I am scared stiff. This is not our national sport and the French women are unbelievable.

"I go to France every year but I have never been to the worlds. At the opening ceremony, I will have to walk with the England flag and I don't know how I am going to cope with that. It is such a great honour."

What is petanque?

Petanque is a version of boules. The object is to throw hollow metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden jack - known as a cochonnet - while standing inside a starting circle. The game can be played on a variety of surfaces but usually on gravel or hard dirt.

A player throws a boule aiming to place it as close as possible to the jack, known as pointing, or tries to directly hit an opponent's boule to knock it away from the jack. This is called shooting.

A carreau is a shot that knocks away an opponent's boule and leaves the thrown ball exactly in place. Like bowls, points are scored depending on the number of boules that are closest to the jack at the conclusion of an end.