A group of students from Birkenhead School have been selected to compete at the UK finals of a science and engineering competition after their project caught the eye of judges.

The team of Year 12 pupils will now take their place in this year's Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Competition.

The team have been announced as one of the winners of the regional heats with the project from the group entitled: "Hydration of the Nation - Why the Complication?"

Their aim is to balance the need to hydrate and focus on the demand on resources.

This involved a critical look at the range of beverages available, the impact of the sugar tax, the increased use of artificial sweeteners and the need for a sustainable approach.

Dr Hilary Leevers, chief executive of Engineering UK, said, “The team from Birkenhead School really impressed the judges with their project and we’re excited to see how they do in the UK finals.

"It is a huge achievement to progress to this stage of thecompetition and they should be incredibly proud to take up their place andcompete at The Big Bang Fair in March 2020."

The students - Will Blessing, Chris Kenchington, John Nguyen, Kevin Wu, Cahan O’Driscoll, Alex Herod, Rohan Shenoy, Edward Oulton and Shivank Sharma - will vie for top prizes including the coveted title of GSK UK Young Engineer and GSK UK Young Scientist of the Year.