Yelling's shock return a month ago saw her confidently win the trial race in Liverpool, but nobody would have predicted she would add another European gold medal to the one she collected five years ago - nor in the way in which she did it, leading from gun-to-tape in the 8,018 metre race held in the mud of Santry Park.

The 35-year-old schoolteacher from Henley said: "I can't believe it, I feel great.

"I'm in shock, but I said that after Liverpool as well.

"I just wanted to go out hard, because I know that's how I race better, to just go out and hang on for as long as possible."

The veteran runner sped to the front of the field immediately the gun sounded and built up an early 50-metres lead, but it was expected she would pay for her bravado against her top-class rivals.

Yelling said: "I expected them to all come, but luckily they didn't.

"I was running scared.

"I didn't know where they were or how far behind.

"I thought they might have a quick last lap."

Despite having only her Liverpool outing under her belt since retiring after last year's Championships, where she was not even a team scorer, Yelling never showed any signs of tiredness or wilting.

Indeed, over the final circuit she even increased her lead to defeat Spain's Rosa Morato by seven seconds with Adrienne Herzog of the Netherlands also a surprise third.

Her thrilling victory and solid backing from Freya Murray in ninth, Katrina Wootton 20th and Sonia Samuels 21st saw her lead the British women to the team silver medals for the fifth consecutive year behind Portugal and ahead of Spain.

Former champion Mo Farah was carried away for medical assistance on a stretcher after collapsing as he crossed the finish line.

He placed runner-up to Spain's Alemayehu Bezabeh.

Farah and his Ethiopia-born rival broke clear early in the 9,997m race and fought a close encounter until Bezabeh opened a 10-metres gap heading into the final circuit.

The 26-year-old Londoner fought back to successfully get back on level terms but had no answer when Bezabeh (pictured), who became a Spanish national just before the 2008 Olympics where he finished fifth in the 5,000m, made a decisive move.

His speedy last 500 metres, with last year's silver medallist clearly struggling, saw him open a huge 17-second gap with defending champion Sergiy Lebid well adrift in third.

Farah's gutsy performance, despite ending in disappointment, saw him lead the Britain men's squad to second place in the team race behind Spain with Italy third.

The younger age groups also showed medal-winning form although Stephanie Twell, tipped to win the women's under-23 title, suffered an off day and was not even a team scorer.

The world 1500m junior champion finished 11th, but Jessica Sparke was an unexpected third in the 6,039m race behind Sultan Haydar of Turkey and Russia's Irina Sergeyeva.

Sparke was followed home by Charlotte Browning in fourth, Hollie Rowland in fifth and Stevie Stockton in tenth as Britain took team gold medals for the fourth successive year.

Mitch Goose and Ricky Stevenson finished fifth and eighth in the men's under-23 competition, their solid performances enabling the team to win the silver medals behind France with Belgium third.

World triathlon champion Alistair Brownlee looked a likely scorer but faded badly in the mud over the final circuit and placed well down the field in 48th position.

Noureddine Smail led a French one-two winning the 8,018m race ahead of Hassan Chahdi with Ethiopia-born Atelaw Bekele of Belgium third.

In the junior men's race, Nick Goolab, 65th last year, snatched the silver medal from team-mate James Wilkinson a stride from the line and almost caught Belgian winner Jeroen D'Hoedt.

Their outstanding displays over the 6,039m course saw the young squad achieve its first team victory for eight years with a runaway success ahead of France and Norway.

Last summer's European 3,000m silver medallist Kate Avery took third place in the junior women's race behind Norway's Karoline Grovdal and Gulshat Fazlitdinova of Russia in their 4,039m contest.