A SCHOOLGIRL has sliced through the opposition to win a town-wide sandwich design competition aimed at promoting healthy eating.

Katherine Bradbrook, who attends Beaumont Hill Special School at Darlington Education Village, had her lunchbox pitta chosen by food experts from more than 50 entries across Darlington.

The 16-year-old's curried coleslaw chicken pitta wowed judges from Darlington Primary Care Trust with its blend of healthy ingredients and spicy taste to take top honours.

The competition is part of a larger project by Darlington Primary Care Trust (PCT) to encourage people to make packed lunches more healthy, after an audit revealed that they contained too much confectionery.

The recipe will now be published in a pamphlet due to be distributed around all Darlington schools to help children, their families or carers get on the path to healthy eating.

Katherine, who is now considering taking a catering course at Darlington College and would like to be a chef, said she was delighted and surprised to win. "I love cooking and have been doing it for about four years," she said.

Darlington PCT's food and health co-ordinator, Cheryl Omnes, said: "We had a fabulous response from schools but Katherine's entry clinched it."