ARTISTS who create the Beano and the Dandy have been teaching the tricks of the trade to an 11-year-old cartoonist .

Ben Nightingale, of Chester-le-Street, won the chance to work with artists from the two children's comics after he submitted a cartoon strip for a competition.

Ben beat hundreds of children to win one of 15 places in the semi-finals of the Capri-Sun Search for the UK's Best Young Cartoonist. He was given expert tuition by illustrators from the comics at a workshop held at Edinburgh Zoo on Monday.

Ben's mother, Lynda, of Alpine Court, said: "He was not expecting to win anything, he just likes drawings and cartoons. He did a character called Johnny Gizmo, who's like a gadget boy, and then just sent it off."

Four other regional workshops will be taking place across the country over the next few weeks.

If Ben produces the best cartoon he will win the title of the UK's Best Young Cartoonist 2003. He will also see his comic strip appear in printand win a computer with drawing software.