A YEAR-eight pupil at Ribblesdale High School Technology College, in Clitheroe, has proved to be a wizard of computer games and pocketed £100 into the bargain.

Jon Brookes rose to the challenge put forward by the school's Young Enterprise business, Eminence, to be the first person to reach level 11 on the company's computer game and find the password. The first to do it would win the cash prize.

The game, named Noid, took four months to create and is the brainchild of another pupil and company member, Philip Gumm, from year 12.

After many determined hours playing the game, Jon finally cracked the system and created a hole in the company's profits.

The school's young entrepreneurs also produced an aluminium and brass chess set.

The school has been involved in Young Enterprise since it began in the 1980s. Pupils aged 15 to 18 form a company for a year. Each company has its own managing director, along with an elected board of directors who then develop a product or service and market it through advertising, craft fairs school events and the like. Shares are issued, capital is raised - hopefully - and the profit distributed among the shareholders.

A "link" teacher in each school helps guide the budding entrepreneurs through the business maze though the company is run entirely by the youngsters.

The school hopes to be successful during Young Enterprise competitions at regional level and go on to be successful in the national finals held in London later in the year.