NORTH Wilts Bowls Club hosted welcomed three-time world indoor champion Andy Thomson to their Westcroft base yesterday.

The 57-year-old, who won the singles crown in January this year, 17 years after his last triumph, took on women’s club champion Irene Button and men’s champion Steve Snook, and hosted a question and answer session with members and guests.

Club chairman Dave Alford said: “It’s a huge coup for us and it really came about because I’m lucky enough to have known Andy for about 15 years.

“I run a shop selling bowls equipment called Bowlamania (in Melksham) and he sometimes comes up to pick things up because there aren’t too many of our kind of shops. It really is a huge honour for us.”