YOUNG engineers from Otley are celebrating victory in the regional finals of a design-a-car competition.

A team of Prince Henry's Grammar School students earned the Formula One in School success by designing and building the heat's fastest and best engineered 'racing car of the future'.

Ciaran Clarke, George Lyttle, Hollie Reynard, Isaac Parsons and Jamie Webster, like the other teams, made their car out of balsa wood powered by compressed air cylinders.

The group, dubbed Team Velocita, will now represent Yorkshire at The Big Bang Fair this March where they will be competing for a place in the World Finals at Singapore.

Their efforts were backed by several local businesses who provided practical help, including Austin Hayes, Wharfedale Embroiderers, Otley's Asda store and Est Designs, in Rawdon.

Lead teacher for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) at Prince Henry's, Danielle Staniforth, said: "We are very proud of their achievements and really looking forward to seeing if the team can make it to Singapore.

"It was very generous of so many local companies to help them make it this far, their support was invaluable.

"The team have really put their all into the project, working very hard on their fantastic design as well as the business aspects of the challenge."

All of the participating pupils used computer aided design software to create their cars and also learned about the business side of racing by raising sponsorship and managing budgets for research, travel and accommodation.

Any companies interested in helping the Prince Henry’s team with the next stage of the competition are asked to send an e-mail to info@princehenrys.co.uk, headed 'FAO Danielle Staniforth'.