World championship trip for martial arts group gets the chop

For the past year the students have been training for the competition Credit: Let's Do Martial Arts

A martial arts group in Dumfries has been forced to cancel it's trip to the world championship after the collapse of Monarch Airlines.

The students from Let's Do Martial Arts were hoping to represent Scotland in the World Karate & Kickboxing Championship in Portugal.

Monarch Airlines ceased trading at the beginning of October and all flights, including theirs, were cancelled.

For the past year the students have been training for the competition.

Chief Instructor, David Gauld, said the hardest part was breaking the news to the club:

In a bid to still compete, the club set up a Crowdfunding page which has raised over £2000, but they couldn't get replacement flights that would work for them.

The World Karate & Kickboxing Championship is a highlight of the martial arts calendar and competing there means a lot.

Last year the club won medals in various events, and the students are disappointed they can't defend those in Portugal:

Despite not being able to compete in this year's championship, Let's Do Martial Arts are aiming to go to the European championship next spring.