TEESSIDE students are to represent the North-East at the national college sports finals.

Prior Pursglove Sixth Form College, in Guisborough, will have 16 teenagers at the British Colleges' Sport National Finals, to be held in Loughborough next month.

The group includes the girls' volleyball squad, who beat Middlesbrough Volleyball Academy in the semi-finals. They will be joined by fellow Prior students Samantha Hart and Debbie Hastings-Long, running the cross-country, Stephanie Donnelly in Table Tennis and Danielle Coonan and Ben Mendoza in the swimming event.

Kirstie Kohling, sports teacher at the college, said: "It has been a tremendous year for the individuals and the college.

"To have 16 students qualifying from one college, including the whole of the volleyball team, shows what high levels of performance we have at Prior."

The three-day event will also be attended by Stockton Sixth Form sports students. Taking part will be swimmers Shane Hassal and Jane Usher, and cross country runners Andrew Wiles and Matty Wilson, and a five-aside football team.

Julie Ward, head of sports studies at Stockton, said: "They did extremely well and beat off very strong competition to get to the national finals and we are really proud of them."