World junior 1500m champion Steph Twell cruised to victory in her Scotland debut at the Gateshead International Cross Country.

The 20-year old was defending champion in the north east and raced away from an early leading pack to finish the 8km race in 28:25 minutes.

British steeplechase champion Helen Clitheroe crossed the line second in 28:47 mins with Sonia Samuels claiming bronze another 13 seconds behind.

But Twell was in a class of her own in Gateshead and admitted she was feeling in the form of her life ahead of the European Cross Country Championships in Dublin in December.

“I really feel in fantastic shape right now – better than I thought I was,” said Twell, who switched allegiance to Scotland in July.

“I was proud to wear the Scotland vest for the first time in Gateshead and obviously I’m delighted to have come through with another win.

“It’s always a tricky course here but it’s one that I love to run. I had to concentrate when I was out on my own but I just focused on sustaining my speed and that made things easier.”

The British trials for the European Championships will be at the Liverpool Cross Challenge at Sefton Park on November 28.