A TEAM of 13 pupils showed no sign of bad luck yesterday when they returned to their school with two trophies and £100 after triumphing in a business ideas contest.

The seven girls and six boys were cheered by classmates as they showed off their prizes at Staindrop Comprehensive School, near Barnard Castle.

They represented County Durham against four other areas in the final of the competition at the Gosforth Park Hotel, Newcastle, where they explained how they set up and organised their company, Evolution.

Evolution has produced a tourist guide to Teesdale and Weardale, along with an interactive CD Rom, and a set of pompoms in the shape of frogs, spiders and other creatures.

Their efforts won the pupils first prize in the information communication technology competition, sponsored by Jackknowsit, of Gateshead.

Then they were runners-up in the overall competition, in which first prize went to Hartlepool Sixth Form College.

Alison Carr, head of business studies at the school, said yesterday, "We are all really delighted with this success. The team worked extremely hard setting up their own business and thinking of ways to market it.

"They built their own website and put a lot of excellent ideas into their company. It is wonderful to know they did so well against the brightest teams from around the North-East."

The team gained a place in the final by winning the county stage of the competition against 11 other lineups.