THE winners of The Short Story Competition launched in the North-East at the start of the year have been revealed.

Organised by Darlington-based Inscribe Media Limited and backed by The Northern Echo, Orange and Darlington Arts Centre, The Short Story Competition attracted almost 550 entries from all over the UK and some from abroad.

Writers Peter Mortimer, from North Tyneside, and Wendy Robertson, from Bishop Auckland, County Durham, were joined by Stan Dean, the retired County Durham chief librarian, from Darlington, to judge the entries.

The winners were chosen from a shortlist of 14, including four North-East writers.

Winner Penny Aldred, of Todmorden, in Yorkshire, won with her story Beyond Repair. She receives £300 and a trip to the Orange Prize for Fiction event, in London, next month.

Second place went to Barbara Faux, of Hackleton, Northamptonshire, with her story The Time of our Singing. She won £150.

Third prize of £100 went to Matthew Kinson, of Staffordshire, who wrote Hear Me.

The judges said: "There was a high level of competent writing. What we were looking for was something inspired.

"We were looking for stories which had an originality and freshness about them. We found that in the winner; a strong idea and a story which was amazingly well layered.

"We also note that a number of the writers showed an economy of style -saying a lot in a few words."

Other stories were:

Commended: Brian Lockett, Chiswick, London, and Wanda Phillips, Menston Ilkley, West Yorkshire

Those shortlisted included: Mike Watson, Darlington, Norah Hill, Middlesbrough, Lynda Kempsey, Wolsingham, County Durham, Chris Foote Wood, Bishop Auckland, and Naomi Lever, Milton Keynes.

www.theshortstory.co.uk