INDIA Mae Thompson returned home from her world championship quest with an impressive 15 medals, but she is relieved to be back on British soil.

The 15-year-old, from Witney, competed in Switzerland, England and Italy over the course of 30 days, picking up seven golds as part of her superb haul.

But an incident on the last day at the Unified World Championships in Carrera, Italy, tarnished the whole experience.

The arena was evacuated after several gun shots were fired inside.

It later transpired three men were conducting a disarmament demonstration with blanks and were arrested by Italian police.

Thompson was left shaken by the incident, but returned to win four further medals.

She said: “We were in the sports hall and there were a couple of bangs.

“I did not think anything of it, but it happened again and everyone started to run.

“My dad took me out of the building and went back to see if everyone was out.

“I got upset, because I didn’t know where dad was.

“I’ve never been more scared in my life.

“I could not feel my legs. I’m quite an emotional person, it just got to me.”

Her father Marc added: “ I got India out and I knew she was safe.

“But I went back in because I was one of the officials on the ground.

“I felt obliged to go back in to make sure they were all out.

“The worst feeling was seeing a lot of people upset.”

Thompson won four medals at the WMAG World Championships in Switzerland, five at the ICO equivalent in England and another seven in Italy.

Overall, the teenager was pleased with her haul.

She said: “I’m quite disappointed with the last day, but other than that it was really good.

“We have a room in our house with a cabinet where I can put all my medals in.

“We need to get a bigger cabinet.”