GRIMSBY swimmer Kate Haywood's European Championship campaign opened in floods of tears after she was controversially disqualified from the 100m breaststroke.

Haywood was in contention throughout her heat and looked set to succeed where teenage starlet and fellow Brit Achieng Ajulu-Bushell had failed in Budapest by making the later stages.

However, eagle-eyed judges believed they had spotted Haywood, pictured, produce an illegal flutter kick at the start and instantly disqualified the Commonwealth silver medallist.

Officials from the British Gas Swimming Team lodged an immediate protest but it was rejected by Margaret Island officials and Haywood was forced to sit out the evening's semi-final.

The 23-year-old was inconsolable after the race and rushed through the mixed zone in tears before later voiced her frustrations on her Twitter page.

"Absolutely gutted, disqualified for something I didn't even do. I'm so unlucky rite [sic] now," she wrote on her home page. "I was disqualified for a flutter kick on the start!

"We did protest but they wouldn't look at the footage! Gutted but still got the 50m and the relay!"

Haywood is scheduled to return to the water on Saturday when she and Ajulu-Bushell – who flopped on the day she became the first black woman to swim for Britain – will contest the 50m freestyle.