THE Northern Echo hopes that more children and teenagers will enter its Great North Photography Competition.

More than 60 entries have arrived in the 18-and-over category, but only a handful from youngsters.

The competition, hosted by The Northern Echo and sponsored by Orange, encourages amateur photographers to capture the North-East and North Yorkshire on film, memory card or with a camera phone.

Sheelagh Caygill, digital media editor at The Northern Echo said: "Some of the entries in the under-18 category are excellent, including a picture of storm clouds over the Millennium Bridge on Tyneside, and a lovely picture of Semer Water, near Hawes.

"But we've only had five entries in this category and we'd like to see more."

She added that the camera phone category has only one entry so far, so people with the latest generation of mobiles are encouraged to enter their best pictures.

The competition is open to anyone in the North-East and North Yorkshire and has two age categories, under-18s and 18 and over.

A winner in each category will be selected, and each will receive £100.

Readers without Internet access can send entries to The Great North Photography Competition, The Northern Echo, Priestgate, Darlington, DL1 1NF.

Include a piece of paper with your name, age, full contact details and where the picture was taken.

The picture must have been taken from August 2003 onwards and the closing date for entries is Friday, September 24. For full rules and to see the entries, log on to www.thisisthenortheast. co.uk/gnpc/index.html