THREE youngsters from Stockton are to represent the North-East in the national final of a language competition later this month.

David Parker, Sophie Waters and Sam Pratt - all pupils at Holy Trinity School - have reached the final of the Euro Language Challenge.

The year six pupils beat off stiff competition from around the region to make it to the final after learning Italian and Russian in the past year.

They will go to London in November where they will go head-to-head with primary school pupils from around the country to show off their language skills in Zulu - one of the languages of South Africa.

The winner of the competition will be flown to South Africa to open a classroom made from an adapted shipping container, as well as test their knowledge of Zulu.

Teacher Julie Soper said: "The children are looking forward to the competition and everyone at the school wishes them the best of luck.

"They have done exceptionally well, especially as they are the only children to have got through to the final from the North-East."

Lucy Smith, a pupil at the school, won a trip to Lapland last year after she took the national title.