Men, women and children bearing fibre glass poles will descend in great numbers on Sutton Arena this Sunday.

Entries for the Jim Day Memorial pole vaulting extravaganza have reached 132 competitors - the biggest gathering of pole vaulters ever seen in one place in Britain according to organiser and coach Allan Williams, a former British International and World Masters Champion at the event.

Among the competitors, whose ages range from 10 to 69, will be 16-year-old schools champion Jack Phipps from Woking and his father Nick, 59, a British Winter Olympian in the four-man bob-sleigh event and a former international decathlete.

There will be six separate competitions held on two runways in the indoor facility at Middleton Road in Carshalton, commencing at 11am, with prizes awarded afterwards.

“I am delighted we have competitors who are travelling great distances to compete," said Williams.

"From the south coast in Kent, from Cornwall in the south west, from dark and rainy Bedford and even from overseas.

"We have competitors joining us from Ireland and Iceland.”