CARLISLE'S Austin Friars School has hosted the regional heat of a national science competition.

Young scientists from schools across the north west flocked to the Etterby Scaur school to face each other in the Top of the Bench contest, run by The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Students from Penrith’s Queen Elizabeth Grammar School (QEGS) were crowned local champions.

Year 11 pupil Henry Teasdale, Rhea Singh in year 10, and year nines Gemma O’Dowd and Finley Illet competed against teams from schools across the north west in a day of quizzes, presentations and practical experiments.

The competition was held at the Carlisle school, after it had won the contest a year ago.

It included a team quiz and separate tests for year 9 and years 10 and 11. And, teams completed two practical investigations; an iodine clock experiment, and making slime.

The QEGS team will now go on to compete against other regional winners in the UK finals, to be held at Manchester University in the spring.

Catherine Bent, chemistry teacher at QEGS, said: "The Top of the Bench competition is one of the longest-standing activities for school children. The Royal Society of Chemistry has been organising and running it for more than 20 years.

"We are very proud of our team’s performance. Organisers commented on our year 9 students’ brilliant performance in their test. It was a tough competition this year and we came first by just one point; I hope we will do the north west proud in the national finals."