LOUISE PERRIO took advantage of ideal conditions at Foote’s Lane to claim the island women’s 1,500m record which has been the possession of Caroline Wickham since 1995. Enjoying the services of a pacemaker for much of the race, Perrio took a big slice off her previous best to stop the clock at 4-46.9, seven-tenths of a second inside Wickham’s time achieved at the Island Games in Gibraltar.

In the same race Lee Garland led the mixed field home in a useful 4-04.9, while Steve Dawes pipped Mark Mercier for second place with 4-09.1, nearly eight seconds quicker than his previous best.

Meanwhile, the island’s number one distance runner, Lee Merrien, was in action at Saturday night’s BMC Nike Grand Prix meeting in Watford where he finished 10th in the 1,500m A race of 17 starters.

Merrien, who set his island record at the same venue a year ago, clocked 3-43.05, some three seconds off his 2005 effort.

Tom Druce disappointed in the 800m C race, finishing last in 1-56, well down on his best.

Over the same distance in Guernsey, veteran Debbie Doherty produced a lifetime best of 2-23.6, while over 400m hurdles, Michael Batiste set another PB over the barriers in achieving the English Schools qualifying standard, taking nine-tenths off his best to clock 58sec. dead.

Dale Garland will learn today the results of an MRI scan on his troublesome lower stomach injury which has hampered him in recent weeks. He is due to run in Bratislava in midweek.