FOUR Dorset swimmers have been selected by Team England to compete in this summer's Commonwealth Games.

The event is due to take place in Birmingham between July 28-August 8.

And Team England have now named a complete 48-strong team of swimming and para swimming athletes for the Games.

They include Alice Tai MBE, Michael Jones MBE, Jay Lelliott and Jacob Peters, who all have strong links to Dorset.

Team England’s swimming team was second on the medal table at the 2018 Gold Coast Games with a total of 24 medals. This included nine gold, 10 silver, and five bronze medals.

Poole-born Tai has always been seen as a trailblazer in the sport, having been European and Paralympic champion by the age of 17.

Now 23, the New Milton-based athlete will head to Birmingham for her first major event since having her right leg amputated at the start of this year.

She is looking to defend the S9 100m backstroke title she won in Gold Coast four years ago.

Also in the para section is 27-year-old Jones, formerly of the New Milton Seagulls.

Now competing out of Manchester, Poole-born Jones won an emotional gold medal at the Rio 2016 Paralympics, dedicating it to his father, who passed away just before the Games.

Fresh from his Olympic debut last year, Peters will look for Commonwealth glory in the butterfly in Birmingham.

The 22-year-old is now based in Bath, but attended Poole Grammar School.

The former Poole Swimming Club star, born in Guildford, is one of the fastest British men in 50m butterfly in history.

Dorchester-born Lelliott heads to Birmingham with more experience, having won a bronze medal at the 2014 European Championships.

The 27-year-old was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2007 and underwent surgery, before beginning to swim competitively a year later.

The former Swim Bournemouth ace now competes out of City of Sheffield Swimming Club.

"I have goals and this is the first stage of my goal," said Lelliott.

"But it's also a huge relief to get through this period because I know what I'm capable of, but obviously the first hurdle is you can turn up (at British Championships) in the best shape of your life and if two or three people beat you you're out of contention, so it's all about turning up and being in the best shape possible.

"It's such a relief but I'm now so excited to get my head down for the Commonwealth Games in the summer now.

"I've got so many great people back at home, all of my squad at the City of Sheffield Swim Club are so excited, my partner Abby was over the moon for me, my family and all my friends knowing about it has been such a heart-warming time.

"So I feel like I'm not just doing it for me, though I swim for me I feel like I've also got the whole of my team that helped me get to this point and that's just such a rewarding feeling to get there not just for me but for them as well."