OVER 34 entries from eight schools were in the running for this year’s Young Engineer, Designer and Technologist competition.

Established more than 20 years ago, the event, aimed at recognising the efforts of GCSE and A-level students, is organised by Hexham Rotary Club.

And it was a sixth form student from the town’s Queen Elizabeth High School, Dominic Armstrong, who scooped the Students’ Award.

His water feature entry was singled out as the best by his fellow students in the running for the competition, which was held at Newcastle’s Discovery Museum last week.

The awards are made possible thanks to support and sponsorship from Friends of the Discovery Museum and Northumbria University, through the national Think Physics initiative, aimed at inspiring young people to take up a career in physics.

Judges included Hexham Rotarians Roger Abraham, Trevor Cessford and Paul Wharrier, with president Stephen Middleton, presenting the prizes alongside Ian Burdon, from Friends of the Discovery Museum.

Competition organiser Nick Rossiter, from Hexham Rotary, said: “This year’s competition was the largest for some time and we are grateful to the schools, the students and our partners for making the event such a success.”

Newcastle’s Discovery School was awarded the main school prize, with the honour for the 11 to 13 age group going to 1st Kenton School.

Individual prizes for GCSE and A-level went to Discovery School and Whitley Bay High School, with a student called Rebecca Stewart, from Whitley Bay High, awarded the Rotary Shield.