UEA Angels Cheerleaders turning on the style during practise after winning the UKCA National Championships. Photo: Steve Adams

We have all heard of Charlie’s Angels, but now it’s time to meet Norwich’s very own, from the University of East Anglia.

The UEA Angels have been holding their sparkling pom-poms as high as their flexible legs this week after claiming a national trophy.

The UEA’s dance cheerleading squad have won the university category at the UK Cheerleading Association’s Spring Nationals at Manchester Velodrome.

The Angels were just getting warmed up for battle in Manchester however, as next Thursday they head to the West Midlands for the British Cheerleading Association’s (BCA) national universities competition.

Telford’s International Centre will host the showdown and there is one squad in particular the Angels want to beat.

Grace Bayfield, a third-year student originally from near Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, added: “We’re going up against a team which employs a professional choreographer, the Warwick Devils, so it will be the Angels against the Devils and they will be the ones we are aiming to beat.

“I’m hoping we can do well, I think we deserve a shot.”

Miss Bayfield choreographs the squad of 24 girls’ routines alongside Zoe Bradshaw and Lula Ajani.

Miss Bradshaw, a fourth-year student originally from Ilford in north London, said: “This was kind of like our pre-competition and now we’re aiming for the big one. We usually come second at the big one so we really want to win.”

The UEA team won the BCA competition three years ago and Miss Ajani, a third-year student originally from Barking in east London, said that inspired her to join the team.

She said: “I remember when I was a fresher and I heard they had come first at the nationals and I thought, I want to be a national champion as well, that would be awesome.”

If the girls do finish in the top positions next week then they could even get the chance to go and compete at European level.

Miss Bradshaw thinks they deserve to as well, adding: “I haven’t seen another team do what we do, so I think we deserve a shot. It sounds corny but the squad element is really good, we all get on really well, this year in particular.”

To see a video of the UEA Angels performing one of their routines, go to www.eveningnews24.co.uk

Have you got a quirky story for the Evening News? Contact reporter David Freezer on 01603 772418 or david.freezer@archant.co.uk