TALENTED teenagers at a Withernsea school are riding high

after scooping prizes at the National Youthbike Awards.

Withernsea High School pupils turned out some award-winning

bikes from their workshop for the annual competition held in

Lincolnshire.

The youngsters rebuilt and customised bikes donated to the

Hull Road secondary for workshop engineering sessions.

They scooped a clutch of prizes, including the best in show

for a Honda 125 Chopper with extended front forks.

The pupils also took awards for the best engineering

fantasy, best engineering reality and competitors' choice.

The pupils' tutor Mark Allan, who is a member of the

Motorcycle Action Group, paid tribute to the students' hard

work.

He said: “Some of it is very conventional and some of it is

purely from their imagination for how they would like a bike to

look.

“You get the most wonderful ideas coming out and we try not

to stunt that.”

Mr Allan said the projects provide the students with

invaluable practical experience and knowledge that will stand

them in good stead for their future careers.

He said: “We do practical activities in the workshop, using

tools and getting used to workshop-disciplines, with a view to

working in industry.

Mr Allan said the police donated impounded or crashed

mini-motos for the students to work on.

Art and design teacher Christine Hearson then worked with

students on their proposed designs and ideas.

Mr Allan said: “Once the pupils have a design on paper they

can move on to the mechanics of their project.

“The lads build the bikes and we try to get them to build

them into different categories, such as alternative energy or

fantasy bike.

“It gets them used to working in a practical environment and

it gets them a qualification.”