A team of welders have been representing the North West in a national event.

The team from Lakes College took part in the national finals of the SkillWeld competition at the WorldSkills UK Live event.

Taylor Amor, Morgan Roberts and Danny Hills took on tough competition from across the UK.

Morgan was presented with the silver award, with Danny being given the highly commended award.

The three-day final took place at the WorldSkills UK Live event in Birmingham.

The competitors were asked to complete four weld tests which were then submitted to a panel of expert judges.

In order to qualify for the final, the team took part in the SkillWeld regional heats in July, where they bagged the top three spots at the competition.

Clive Bell, welding lecturer at Lakes College, said: “This was the college’s sixth year competing in the WorldSkills UK finals, and it definitely lived up to expectations.

“The event was incredible to watch and we’re extremely proud of our learners who all gained apprenticeships through Lakes College.

“It was amazing to see the welders use the skills they have learned in the classroom and apply them to a competitive and high-pressure situation.”

The team have been learning their skills from Clive, alongside welding tutor Jamie Robinson.

Morgan said: “This was my second time competing at SkillWeld, and the competition was really tough this year.

“There was lots of training involved, and we even held a mock competition at college with the same standards and marking criteria as the real thing.

“I’m really happy that I won another silver medal and would like to thank Clive and Jamie for all of the time they put into our training.”

Danny said: “This year’s competition was really hard and very time-consuming, but it was really good fun and I enjoyed every moment of it.

“The best part was how competitive it was, and I’m happy I managed to come out of it with a great award.

"Thanks to Clive and Jamie for teaching me the skills I used at the finals.”