Pupils are riding high at national bike awards

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.”