A Keighley resident produced the ultimate achievement in darts by recording a nine-dart finish in a local league game.

David Shore was playing for the Three Horses against Ryshworth when he performed his feat, the sport’s equivalent of a maximum 147 at snooker.

It is thought to be the first time a nine-darter has been achieved in the Keighley Darts and Doms League but Shore, 44, says it wasn’t a complete surprise to him, even though he wasn’t playing with his usual set.

He said: “I’d never actually played at Ryshworth before and I’d lost my darts the week before in a taxi. I had some more given to me by my brother’s mate and they were about the same size and weight. I’d hit four nine-darters at home so I thought it might be coming.”

Shore, originally from Surrey, says he practises the game for around eight hours every day and that, when it came to the ninth throw, he knew exactly where it was going.

“I’ve been playing since I started going into pubs really, since I was about 18. I was all right before I moved to Keighley but I put a board in my room and started hitting 180s regularly so I knew I could do it in a match.

“I was nervous for the first 180 but when I got to the double I knew it was going in, it was just instinct.

“It was amazing. Afterwards, everybody was shaking my hand and people came over from the pub across the road to congratulate me. People were buying me drinks all night!”

Shore says playing darts has helped him cope with poor health, and that his nine-darter has helped him fight a mystery condition.

He said: “I’ve got an illness and they don’t know what it is. They’ve done some blood tests and I’m awaiting the results of that. I’m on tablets around the clock and tablets to help me sleep.

“It just felt like God was helping me in a way, letting everybody know what I can do. I’d love to be a professional and get a sponsor but I need to get my illness out of the way first.

“I watch the Lakeside tournament on the BBC and the Grand Slam on ITV. I write the scores down and then play against them.

“I get a real adrenaline rush when I play legs against Phil Taylor’s scores. It makes me forget about my pain for a while.”

He may have accomplished the darting dream of everyone who steps up to the oche but his next match ensured he didn’t stay on cloud nine for too long. “I was the third one on and I actually played doubles after that with the pool champion Chris Melling, who’s a really good darts player, but we lost.”