BDO world champion Scott Mitchell fears Dorset darts could lose a generation of youngsters unless someone resurrects the county's youth structure.

Dorset's Thomas Chant, Mitchell's daughter Katie and protégé Dan Perry have spent their season travelling to Fareham to represent Hampshire following the demise of their own county side.

The youth trio helped their adopted team win all three age groups of the British Inter County Youth League Southern Section as well as the overall prize with Chant and Mitchell boasting 100 per cent winning records.

Hamworthy-based Perry, 13, won seven out of eight and went on to secure both the under-14 and under-18 sections at the Mill Hythe Spring Darts weekend at Hayling Island.

But with the rookies having to rack up the miles just to get a game, 'Scotty Dog' reckons many more rising stars could slip under the radar.

Lakeside winner Mitchell told the Daily Echo: "It is a shame. The interest from the players of the future is not going to be there now because the only way they can go is Devon or Hampshire, which involves even more travelling.

"Katie and Thomas have come to the end of their time in the youth section now, so Dan and his family face doing it on their own next year.

"With Dorset being so spread out, finding a central venue and parents who are prepared to do the travelling is very difficult. There were funding issues as well and it just petered out.

"The people who had been running it did a great job for five or six years but got left with it long after their kids had got too old to play.

"Not having it there is a hindrance because the latest results show we have got kids in Dorset who can play, we just have to find people with time to commit to running it.

"The three that have jumped over the border this year played a big part in Hampshire winning at every age group and that should not be underestimated."

And Mitchell insists the players who do still find a path into the sport could suffer from having to face senior players week after week.

"We will still try and find players through the (Dorset) Superleague but I do fear for the kids who do not get to play in their own age group," he added.

"They're always going to be up against adults and to find out how good they are and properly measure their success, they need to be on a level playing field.

"The youth system is so important and it is unfortunate that we don't have that at the moment for one reason or another. Hopefully, it will get sorted out sooner rather than later."