A TRAINEE at Darlington College of Technology has won a bronze medal for carpentry in a national competition for the construction industry.

Lee Fawcett, 20, from Middleham, in North Yorkshire, battled against young trainees from across the UK in the finals of Skillbuild, in Galgorm, Northern Ireland.

During the three days of competition, Lee competed against ten other competitors for coveted gold, silver and bronze awards.

Working against the clock, their identical projects were marked by a panel of internationally renowned experts for skill and accuracy.

Lee said: "When I won the regional Skillbuild final I just hoped to do well at the national finals. I'm so proud to have achieved such a high standard at this level of my chosen profession."

Skillbuild chairman, Peter Rainbird, said: "All the competitors gave their best and are a credit to the construction industry.

"The country will always need skilled tradesmen and these young people have proven that they are more than capable of achieving the highest standards.

"We should get behind them in their chosen professions to promote this industry together with the training and career opportunities it offers."

The Skillbuild competition was sponsored by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), British Gypsum, Crown Paints and Hanson Bricks.