Cumbrian Simon Lawson will go for glory at the Commonwealth Games this summer after being named in Team England's squad.

Lawson is one of 21 para athletes selected to represent England at the Games in Birmingham.

It will be the latest outing on the big stage for the wheelchair marathon racer from Maryport, who claimed bronze in the previous Commonwealth Games in 2018.

The 39-year-old Paralympian, who was born in Whitehaven, is in a squad that includes star names including David Weir and Hannah Cockroft.

Speaking at the squad announcement, Kelly Sotherton, Team England’s athletics team leader for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, said: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome these 21 athletes to Team England after they accepted invitations to what promises to be an incredibly exciting Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

This team represents a wonderful blend of youth and experience, and we know these athletes can’t wait to represent England this summer.

"We look forward to supporting them both in the lead-up to, and during, the Games in front of a home crowd in Birmingham.”

Lawson has been a leading wheelchair marathon athlete for several years.

The former speedway champion turned to the sport after being paralysed from the chest down in a crash in 2001.

In 2015 he was the second-fastest Brit at the London Marathon, finishing only behindthe legendary Weir, and also took silver at the same year's Great North Run.

The Cumbrian raced in the Rio 2016 Paralympics and set a British record time of 1:25:06 at the Boston Marathon in 2017.

After winning the Great North Run for the first time that year, he claimed T54 marathon bronze at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on Australia's Gold Coast. 

This summer's Games run from July 28 to August 8.