PREVIOUS winners of the Spirit of Innovation Awards are urging young inventors to get involved with this year's competition.

At the age of 15, Alex Dixon and Andrew Teasdale, pupils at Monkwearmouth School in Sunderland, were encouraged to enter the awards after taking part in the school's Creativity through Science and Technology (Crest) Project.

The project resulted in their idea, a miniature multi-purpose submarine using a unique movement method, being exhibited at the British Youth Science Fayre in London.

What's more, the invention scooped the first prize of £1,000 in the student category.

Since the awards the pair have gone on to win another £2,000 in prizes at a national engineering competition and a marine technology award.

Andrew said: "The Spirit of Innovation Awards gave us the opportunity to show our idea and get some support to develop it.

"In the future we'd like to develop a new control system for a mini-sub that allows it to be piloted more like a plane and foresee it will be useful for checking underwater pipes, mapping the ocean floor or recovering treasure from sunken wrecks."

The pair are now studying A-levels at Sunderland City College in maths, further maths, physics, computing and chemistry and hope to continue to degree level. Mike Collier, chief executive of One NorthEast, sponsors of this year's Spirit of Innovation Awards, said: "The awards provide budding entrepreneurs with the chance to show what they can do.

"We know there is an abundance of great ideas out there and would urge people, particularly pupils, to get their ideas in before the closing date."

The awards close at the end of the month. For an application form or more information contact Victoria Walton on 0191- 516 6045.