A TEENAGER is to travel to Buckingham Palace after earning a top award.

Seventeen-year-old Helen Farrar is the first student at Barnard Castle School to complete the gold Duke of Edinburgh Award while still studying at the school.

She will be presented with the accolade by the Duke of Edinburgh.

Helen, who wants to go on to study medicine, said: "It is really difficult to do and takes a lot of time and effort, so I am really pleased to get the award."

Barnard Castle teacher Charles Alderson, who runs the award scheme, said: "It's a fantastic achievement. It is a very tough award and it's staged at a time when students are under a lot of pressure academically.

"So the fact she has done it in the minimum amount of time is even more impressive."

Helen spent more than four hours a week working toward the award. She had to tackle five elements including a week-long residential medicine course at Nottingham University.

She also organised a four day and three night expedition to Howgills, in Cumbria, and captained the school and county under-18 hockey sides.