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Tom Daley won the first synchronised 10m European title of his career with a stunning victory and personal best score with Matthew Lee in Budapest.

The pair, who won World Cup gold at the Olympic test event in Japan this month, scored 477.57 points to finish ahead of Russia (471.96) and Germany (424.32).

The pick of their dives - the back 3.5 somersault - in round four scored a stunning 97.20.

"We're absolutely delighted," Daley, 26, told ´óÏó´«Ã½ Sport.

"That was a score which would have actually won the Chinese nationals this week, which is a good sign ahead of the Olympics and I feel we can still make improvements before Tokyo."

Lee, 23, added; "We feel in such a great place and I think lockdown has made us realise why we love the sport so much, which means we're enjoying it more than ever right now."

Grace Reid, the 2018 European 3m springboard champion, was a surprise absentee in the women's final in Budapest at this year's event after failing to progress from the preliminaries.

London-based team-mate Scarlett Mew Jensen, 19, did make it through though and placed eighth in an event won by Germany's Tina Punzel.

Gold for Daley and Lee was the first title for British divers at the 2021 Europeans and their fifth medal, following silver for Jack Laugher (1m springboard), Lois Toulson and Eden Cheng (synchronised 10m), Noah Williams and Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix (mixed synchronised 10m), and Spendolini-Sirieix's individual bronze (10m platform).

Daley will bid to reclaim the individual European title he last won in 2016 on Sunday, which is the final day of diving at this year's event.