THREE youngsters with a talent for verse have written their way to treats for their proud mothers.

Hundreds of pupils from primary schools in the Stanley area entered a Mother's Day poetry competition, sponsored by Asda. Each child was asked to write a poem about what their mother means to them.

The winner was Lauren Dickinson, aged ten, of Tanfield Lea Junior School. She won a bouquet of flowers for her mother and a £50 Asda shopping voucher.

Her proud mother, Tracy Dickinson, 39, of Harperley, said: "This is a brilliant Mother's Day present - I couldn't have asked for anything better."

Second place went to Amy Wilde, aged eight, also a pupil at Tanfield Lea. Her mother, Gillian Wilde, 40, said: "She has done really well. Her poem brought a tear to my eye."

Hayley Hall, ten, of St Mary's RC Primary School, in South Moor, came third.

Some of the other entries were not so flattering. One child, asked to compare her parent to an animal, wrote: "My mam is like a shark, she has big teeth."

Another seemed to take the opportunity to make a confession about his misdeeds, writing: "I don't know how the dog got in the washing machine and locked the door from the inside. Maybe we have a ghost".