ANNUAL awards recognising the achievements of young people in the Stockton area have been launched.

The SMART awards - the Stockton Mayor's Achievement Recognition Trophy awards - are run ever year for youngsters up to 19 in the borough, and were launched by TFM Radio presenter Tom Davies.

The awards - sponsored by companies including TFM, Tees Active Limited and Asda - are run by Stockton Borough Council's youth service, but judged by a panel of young people drawn from schools and groups.

There are ten categories, including educational effort, teamwork, sport, bravery to overcome a challenge and the arts.

Nomination forms are available in the town's libraries, leisure centres and schools, or from the council's website, www.stockton.gov.uk.

The closing date for all categories is Friday, April 22.

"This is a great way of letting the young person in your life know how special they are," said Tom Davies. "All it takes is a few minutes to fill in the nomination form and every young person nominated will receive a certificate to mark their achievement.

"It may be a young person who has tried particularly hard at school, someone who is a big help to others or a young person whose bravery helped them overcome a difficult situation. I'm sure there are lots of young people who deserve to be nominated."