RUNNING in a straight line might seem like a pretty ordinary kind of sport, but have you ever tried it?

A group of teenagers from West Hatch High School have, and their hobby is far from ordinary.

The team of free runners at the school in Chigwell follow the motto that nothing will stand in their way, and they take the saying quite literally.

Starting at one point, their aim is to run in a completely straight line no matter what obstacles lie in their path, including walls, railings and buildings.

Free running, also known as parkour, has only recently been recognised as a sport but the craze has become popular world wide, as many people follow it's philosophy as a way of life, not just a sport.

George Protopapas, 15, started practicing free running two years ago when he was introduced to it by a friend, and is now part of a team of 18.

He said: "A lot of people think they know what it is but actually they don't. They think it's jumping off buildings but it's not, because that's called suicide. It's like the saying 'as the crow flies.' The original point of the sport is to get from A to B without letting anything get in the way. It's a good practise because in life, you shouldn't let anything get in your way and stop you doing what you want."

George's team is part of a wider group called Keibatsu, made up of other free running members.

On their website it says the practise of parkour is about the journey, not the destination and adds: 'It's a marathon not a sprint, the skills of parkour takes time to learn it is very demanding both physically and mentally.'

George, from Larkshall Road, Chingford, and his team mates attend official events and hope that eventually they will be good enough to take part in the many competitions across the country.

He said: "You don't have to be super athletic to do it. It's about training your body. While most people would walk around some railings, we get over them in other ways, by jumping onto them or over them. The good thing about the sport is that the professionals really help you to improve.

“In most sports the professionals often think they are better than the amateurs but with free running everyone helps each other and people keep getting better and better. The next generation of free runners will always be better than the one before."

• See more photos of George and his team at keibatsu.co.uk.