QUEEN Elizabeth sixth form college students Becky Litchfield and Jo Wright are well-versed when it comes to writing poetry.

The pair, who were recently short-listed in a competition organised by Ottakars book shop in Darlington, beat the competition in the final reading, taking first prize and runner-up.

Repeating last year's success, 16-year-old Jo, from Darlington, took the top spot again with a poem entitled Just One Look. The year before she had been short-listed.

Her prize of £100-worth of poetry books included three anthologies and 11 others.

Becky, aged 16, from Marton, Middlesbrough, was runner-up with her piece entitled For Him.

Jo said: "I love writing poetry and have been doing it for a couple of years now. It's a real outlet for my emotions. I'm delighted that I've won again but didn't expect to!"

Both girls are in their first year at the college. Jo is studying AS-level English literature, history, philosophy and theatre studies while Becky is studying AS art, English literature, philosophy and sociology