A TEAM from Great Sankey High School won the first VEX Robotics Challenge to be staged in Great Britain.

The team beat Mid Cheshire College in the final to take the prize at the event held at Priestley College last Tuesday.

They received a trophy plus VEX Robotics parts worth £500, a Wi-Fi transmitter kit and they were able to keep their robots which are worth £750 each.

Also taking part were teams from Priestley College, Sir Thomas Boteler High and Birchwood High Schools.

The competition was launched in March when schools and colleges across Cheshire were invited to apply to enter a team. Six places were available but with many more applications received, the decision for the shortlisted schools was difficult: Ian Laugher, UK MD of VEX Robotics manufacturer Innovation First, said: "We were delighted with the level of interest in the VEX Robotics and thank everyone for taking the trouble to enter. All applicants were of a high standard and we will definitely keep in touch with those schools that didn't make the shortlist for future events"

The students were all aged 14-plus and from schools or colleges which incorporate robotics into the curriculum. They built their robots ahead of the 'game' after receiving VEX kits and having a training workshop The judging panel for the school challenge were Warren Weeks, vice president of Innovation First ,who flew in from the US for the competition, Stephen Nickson, managing director of DATS, engineering recruitment specialists, Gareth Moulson, from the Nat West Bank and Nicola Priest, group editor of Warrington Guardian.