A TAMAR Valley darts fan was all smiles after a chance encounter led to a game of arrows with one of the world's best players.

Steve Wickett (left) from St Ann's Chapel shared the oche with world number three darts player James Wade, after attending the WD-40 stand at an Exeter trade show hosted by Toolbank.

He played a nine-dart shoot-out against James, scoring a respectable 68. The top four scores during the day then played James in a leg of 501 for various prizes.

Despite not making the final, Steve enjoyed the experience. He said: 'It was fantastic to play James but he certainly showed his quality against me with a couple of 180s.

Steve said: 'I must thank Toolbank and WD-40 for giving me this opportunity and also to James for passing on some tips on my throwing technique.'

David Whittome, WD-40's head of marketing, said: 'This was a great opportunity for amateur darts players and fans to test their skills against one of the best in the world.

James added: 'Playing against fans like Steve is brilliant and gives me the chance to pass on tips to them.

'He threw some excellent darts, getting a higher score than I did.'