THE finest young engineers in the country battled it out at Darwen Vale High School.

The Primary National Engineering Award 2007 saw 12 regional champions trying to impress the judges with their entries.

The competition was a national initiative for boys and girls to develop interests and skills in engineering with a view to considering a career in the field.

The scheme encourages specialist secondary school teachers to help train primary school teachers in a bid to get children interested in engineering at a young age.

On the day, teachers worked with classes of children in to years two, five and six to come up with ideas.

There was local success as the winning entries came from year-six pupils Gareth Johnson and Joe Lightbown from the Redeemer School in Blackburn, who came up with an idea for a Blackburn Rovers-themed car.