MATURE student Ann Marie Revell is celebrating after collecting a first class degree and an award.

Ann, 36, of Sunderland, won this year's Northumbrian Water prize for environmental biology, awarded for the best final year project by a student on the BSc (Hons) environmental biology course, at Sunderland University.

Ann examined the diet of dippers, birds which nest near water and can walk and swim underwater in search of food.

During trips to the rivers East and West Allen, in Northumberland, she discovered there is less food for the birds because the area's metal mining history has left high metal levels in the water.

Ann left school at 16 and worked for 17 years before deciding that she wanted to return to education. She took a year-long foundation course at the university before progressing into the degree programme.

She said: "It was a real surprise to hear I'd won the prize.''

Sir Fred Holliday, chairman of Northumbrian Water group, said: "I am delighted to be presenting this prize to someone who has not only graduated with a first class degree, but whose project will be of particular value and benefit in understanding our local environment and further afield.''

Professor Wallace Arthur, director of the ecology centre, said: "Ann has produced an outstanding piece of work and deserved the award.

"We are very grateful to Northumbrian Water for their continued support of our ecological research and teaching."