WITH Lynn Pearson as cook, the children of Wolsingham Primary School are the luckiest in County Durham.

She has been named the best school cook in the county for the second year running by the Local Authorities Catering Association.

The competition was judged by North-East television weatherman Bob Johnson.

Now she hopes she will finally achieve her dream of winning the national final, after missing out by just one point last year.

In yesterday's heat against other County Durham school cooks, Miss Pearson served a meal that would whet the appetite of anyone from a cordon bleu chef to the most discerning of primary school children - and all based on a budget of just a few pence.

At the competition at Hermitage Comprehensive School, Chester-le-Street, she served a meal of Weardale lamb with spices, cous cous and plum chutney, sticky apple sponge and a fruit coulis.

Miss Pearson must now present the same dish in the Scottish and North-East regional final, in the hope if going through to the national final in November.

She said: "When I lost by just that one point I said I was determined to have another go, and I am just pleased to have got through today's competition because the standard was so high."

Runners-up were: Catherine Wilson, from Esh Church of England School; Mark Kemp, from Belmont Comprehensive School; and Helen Nicholson, of Hermitage Comprehensive