DARREN MEW has left the World Championships in disgrace after being warned that he could lose his annual funding, which has been reduced by £10,000 in the wake of an abysmal performance here. British Swimming is attempting to cut support for those who perform world-class times at domestic trials but then flop on the world stage.

British Swimming coaches, led by Bill Sweetenham, the performance director, and Ian Turner, the head coach, held talks late into the night and again at breakfast yesterday after James Gibson failed to qualify for a defence of the 50-metres breaststroke title he won in 2003. Gibson, well below his best in the Olympic Games 100 metres final in Athens, finishing one place ahead of Mew in sixth, remains with the team but he has been asked to consider his future.

Mew’s 29th place over 100 metres breaststroke on Sunday plumbed the depths: the fourth-fastest man ever for the event, Mew recorded 1min 2.43sec. His Commonwealth record is 1:00.02.

The Times understands that, while he was “asked” by Sweetenham whether he would like to return home, “yes” was the only answer allowed. “Both for Darren and the team, it was best that he went home to resolve whatever made him go so slow,” Turner said. Mew, who now will prepare for the Commonwealth Games trials next week, had funding of about £16,000 a year, compared with a maximum possible from the lottery of £21,000. Failure here reduces his income to £6,000.

“We are well aware that we are funding people who cannot do anything other than make the qualifying time and make a good world ranking from a domestic meet and are not transferring the result from the trials into an international meet,” Turner said.

Turner said that Mew and Gibson, both 25, had to ask themselves “serious questions about where their future lies. Bill has confronted Darren and we are all aware that at some time or another we have to say ‘enough is enough you guys’, and we have to review things.”

Last night, Chris Cook finished a worthy fifth in the 50 metres breaststroke final. His 28.00sec compared to 27.63sec for Mark Warneke, of Germany, who at 35 became the oldest world champion ever.

Melanie Marshall finished a disappointing seventh in the 200 metres freestyle final in 1min 59.36sec.

It means that Caitlin McClatchey’s bronze in the 400 metres freestyle on Sunday is still Britain’s only medal at these championships.