A NORTH-EAST learning mentor is getting to the square root of innovation with his entry into this year's Spirit of Innovation Awards.

Chris Williams, 33, of North Shields, North Tyneside, has created a drugs information aid in the form of a Rubik's Cube.

Working as a learning mentor at Churchill Community College, in Wallsend, Mr Williams is in regular contact with young people who are at risk of permanent exclusion from school.

Included within his teaching programme are sessions on drug and alcohol abuse, warning youngsters of the potential dangers.

Mr Williams was keen to design a product that attracts peoples' attention and is more user-friendly than leaflets and posters.

He is hoping his idea will impress judges of the Spirit of Innovation Awards, organised by the North-East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC), which recognise designs which could achieve commercial success.

Instead of a colour-coded pattern, Mr Williams' cube contains information about drugs including cannabis, heroin, Ecstasy, amphetamines, crack cocaine and solvents, highlighting dangers of drug abuse, their street names and their side effects.

Mr Williams said: "The existing drug information resources don't necessarily capture the audiences.

"Young people are often embarrassed to talk about drugs or seek out the relevant information and are less likely to pick up information packs or leaflets."