HONEYBOURNE'S Ed Norton has returned from Ukraine as European masters modern pentathlon champion.

He also took silver in the men's relay in Kharkiv with Will Stratemeier from Broadway and the Great Britain team secured men's gold.

Norton, 29, has taken individual gold in every masters pentathlon meet this season.

He heads to Cape Town, South Africa, this week for the Laser Run World Championships.

Modern pentathlon consists of one-hit epee fencing, swimming, show jumping on unknown horses provided by the organiser and then a combined event of running and laser shooting where points are worked out into seconds in a handicap start.

Effectively the person who crosses the line first in the final phase of the Olympic sport wins the competition.

In the men's relay, Norton and Stratemeier put in a solid performance in all phases and ended up finishing the combined laser run event in a close second place, just 10 metres behind the Ukrainian team.

In the individual competition held just the day after the relay, Norton had a clear round in the show jumping for maximum points.

He clocked the fastest time of the competition in the pool and due to tired legs had an average performance by his standards in the fencing.

In the combined event Norton recorded the fastest laser run time in the competition to cross the line first.

Norton said: "Looking to the future, my goals are to do the best I can in the Laser Run World Championships in Cape Town and I would like to get an individual gold medal at the Masters World Championships next year and maybe get a sponsor or two.

"I would like to say a big thank you to all my local coaches John Rees at Malvern Hills Sword Fencing Club, Nick Chapman at Evesham Fencing Club, John Newman my swim coach, West Midlands Modern Pentathlon Club, Pentathlon Hereford, Empire Coach Builders for allowing me time off to compete and my family and girlfriend for all their support."