A COLLEGE student has won praise for a video showing the last hours of one of Britain's most infamous murderers.

No Remorse, by Darlington College student Madeleine Blagden, charts the final moments of Ruth Ellis before she earned notoriety as the country's last female prisoner to go to the gallows.

Ellis was convicted and hanged in 1955 for the murder of her ex-boyfriend, David Blakely, a violent man who had abused her and caused the death of her unborn child.

Madeleine, 19, of Northallerton, North Yorkshire, researched the story and discovered there was no record of her final moments as she awaited the rope.

She wrote, filmed and directed a five-minute video reconstructing Ellis's final minutes.

"It was fascinating to research and sparked an interesting debate among friends as to whether Ellis was victim or villain," said Madeleine.

"It was amazing how many people suddenly changed their views when they heard about her losing the baby."

Her efforts earned her a distinction on her BTEC National Diploma in media moving image, while other work she completed won her national acclaim.

Her tutor, John Gibb, said: "Her Ruth Ellis video was certainly worth a distinction.

"A separate piece of work - an assignment in the corporate and promotional video unit, in which she produced an excellent programme for her local church in Northallerton - was called in by the external verifier and her log-sheets and storyboards hailed as the best he had ever seen."

Madeleine will start a media and cultural studies degree in September and hopes to work in advertising production.