Forres Academy pupil and Target Technique air rifle star Debbie Bexley (14) wins two gold medals at the Scottish Schools Shooting Championships

A Forres Academy pupil became a shooting star to win gold in the national schools championships.

Third year student Debbie Bexley won the 10 metres precision air rifle title at the Scottish Schools Shooting Championship at Grangemouth.

She also won a gold medal in a team event.

The 14-year-old now progresses to the British finals held in Staffordshire in February.

Debbie competes for the Target Technique club based in Inverness, and her coach Maria Maoileoin said the Forres youngster won the event after acquiring a new and unfamiliar rifle on the evening prior to the event.

The coached described the techniques involved in being successful in shooting.

“Competing well requires a confident focused mind, low heart rate and relaxed muscles,” she said. “To retain this, faced with the stress and anxiety that competitions inevitably produce is a great achievement in itself.”

The championships produced a larger-than-usual entry of 84 and adapted the competition by reducing the number of shots required to accommodate everyone in the restricted time scale.

Target Technique had five members taking part with all achieving eighth place or better.

Debbie teamed up with Inverness Royal Academy pupil Emily Jack, 15, and Culloden Academy 16-year-old Callum Kydd in a trio who claimed victory in the team events.