THE world record holder, Colin Jackson, spoke glowingly of Britain's newest athletics discovery, East Kilbride's Allan Scott, after he announced his arrival with two Scottish records over 60metres hurdles at the AAA Indoor Championships in Sheffield.

Scott took the title in the Saturday session of the Norwich Union Championships, the first Scottish winner since the Olympian, Dave Wilson, in 1980, with a time of 7.58secs. It was one of three Scottish victories, Susan Deacon winning the 200m (also ending a 25year famine), and Hayley Ovens the 1500m yesterday.

Scott broke Ross Baillie's Scottish best with 7.59 in the semi-final, and a further hundredth brought the title in a torrid final which sealed his place in the Great Britain team for the European Indoor Championships in Spain next month.

The squad is named a week today, but neither Deacon or Ovens reached the qualifying time, and both had already booked to fly to South Africa on Thursday, to train.

The 22-year-old Scott is now ranked sixth in the world, but fourth in Europe this year after Stan Olijars hurdled to a worldleading 7.50 last night in Karlsruhe. "I have an invitation race in Madrid a week on Thursday, which gives me a chance to familiarise myself with the track, " said Scott. "My aim is the European final and if I get there, anything can happen."

All eight finalists (three of them Scots) in the English Institute of Sport arena had gone under eight seconds this year, and three had achieved the standard for Madrid. Previous winners of the AAA title include world and commonwealth medallist Jon Ridgeon and Tony Jarrett, but Welshman Jackson, who is now retired, is the only Brit to have won this title in a faster time than Scott.

"This was the highest quality field of any event this weekend, " pointed out Jackson.

"Allan has done really well.

Now his target must be to get down to a comparable standard over 110 metres outdoors, and that can take time. It took me two years to improve by a fifth of a second. Now that he is putting extra stress on his body, training full time, staying healthy is the key."

Hurdles guru Malcolm Arnold, who steered Jackson to world gold and a world record, and also the career of the 1972 Olympic 400m hurdles champion John Akii Bua, said: "Allan was very impressive. He's really got down to work, and the world's his oyster now. This makes him very competitive in Europe."

The man who takes credit, however, is Glasgow coach Bob Somerville, who looks after both Scott and training partner Chris Baillie, who lost bronze by one hundredth. Scott has not missed a training session since graduating in sports studies from Stirling University last year, and has lowered his best by 0.16 over 60m this season.

He showed great maturity when the final got away only at the fourth attempt, some of it, one suspects, being designed to unsettle him. "When I was younger I just expected to improve with age. Now I know you have to put the work in, " he said. "I have really started to apply myself."

Scott has no kit contract, no sponsor, and his last job was in a fast food restaurant where he had to dress up as a bear.

The previous record of 7.60 was set by the late Ross Baillie six years ago today. Jackson had tipped the Clydebank athlete as his likely successor, but he died tragically later that year, victim of a peanut allergy.

Poignantly Baillie's parents were in Sheffield and were among the first to congratulate Scott on taking their late son's record.

Their younger son, Chris, finished fourth behind Scott (7.88) with Francis Smith of Pitreavie fifth in 8.04. It was Baillie's fastest of the season.

Edinburgh Southern Harrier Deacon, who surrendered her Scottish 300m record to Lee McConnell last week, found consolation in her first AAA senior title, with a personal best of 23.67secs.

She claimed the scalp of Olympian Donna Fraser (23.72) and Irishwoman Ciara Sheehy, who recently denied Deacon the Scottish title in Glasgow.

Deacon missed the national record by 0.05. She is the first Scottish winner of this title in 25 years, after Linsey Macdonald, who won Olympic relay bronze that same year. "I've got three races in South Africa, but the Commonwealth Games qualifying time of 23.30 is a tall order, " she said.

Ovens regained the title she won in 2003 with 4m 19.11sec.

It was the Edinburgh woman's fifth 500m medal in these championships.

60m WORLD RANKINGS

2005

Stanislav Olijars Lat 7.50

Allen Johnson US 7.51

Maurice Wignall Jam 7.54

Ladji Doucoure Fra 7.55

Elmar Lichteneggar Aus 7.56

Allan Scott Sco 7.58