The 19-year-old from Corby went into the final as the top qualifier, but his overall score of 88.275 was narrowly beaten by Fabian Hambuechen, who also led Germany to the team title.

 

He earned 89.175 despite falling from the parallel bars.

 

Yury Ryazanov of Russia took the bronze.

 

Liverpool's Daniel Purvis, 18, finished seventh with 88.075 on a promising senior debut at European level.

 

The gold medal was Hambüchen's first major international title, and the first European all-around championship for the German men.

 

Hambüchen finished third in the all-around at the 2006 World Championships, and second at both the European Championships and World Championships in 2007.

 

He was a medal favourite at the 2008 Olympics, but errors dropped him to seventh in Beijing.

 

Keatings touched down on an Arabian double front on floor exercise in the second rotation, and took his lowest score, 13.475, on still rings in the fourth rotation.

 

He was the only gymnast to score above 15.000 on pommel horse (15.475).

 

His silver medal is the best all-around result for a British gymnast in senior European championships competition.

 

British Gymnastics technical director Eddie Van Hoof said: "It only gets better.

 

"Both our Dans have done a great job.

 

"The medal and the rankings show how we are competing against and winning with the best in the world."

 

Keatings, 18, a member of Huntingdon Gymnastics Club, where he is a team-mate of Olympic bronze medallist Louis Smith, who has been competing in the sport since he was five, had won the European junior title less than a year ago.