A GROUP from Oxfordshire is today heading off to the World Championships of an obscure sport called Pickleball.

The team will be representing the UK in the sport which they claim to be the only group in England to play.

Pickleball is a racquet sport which originated in the USA in the 1960s and derives from badminton and tennis.

The group of 13 players will go up against teams from France, Spain and Canada during the two-day event in Amsterdam.

Pickleball was introduced to England by Kidlington couple Maureen and Ian Wilson who encountered it when they visited Florida.