STUDENTS and staff at a Hartlepool school are celebrating after their innovative project to build and race an electric car won a top regional award.

St Hild’s Church of England School won the Best in School category at the 2014 PoSBO (Positive Social Behaviour Order) Awards for its development of the Mean Green Electric Machine.

The awards which aim to celebrate and recognise the hard work of young people across the North-East, are hosted annually by Truth About Youth - North-East, The Co-operative Foundation’s five-year project that is being run in partnership with Youth Focus: North East.

A group of about 20 students from Year 8 upwards have been involved in the Mean Green Electric Machine project, giving up their own time between and after classes.

They built the kit car from scratch and successfully raced it at Croft Circuit near Darlington, beating off stiff competition from other better-resourced schools.

Head of Science Karen Stainthorpe and Ian Hall, the school’s subject leader for engineering technology, received the PoSBO award at a ceremony at the BALTIC in Gateshead.

“It was great to learn that we had been short-listed for the award but to actually win it was simply fantastic.

“I’m very pleased for everyone involved with the project, particularly the students – both boys and girls - who have demonstrated a very high level of commitment by working so hard in their own time.

“When we go racing it makes me proud to see how they more than hold their own against other teams. They are an absolute credit to themselves and the school, and I am so proud of them,” said Mr Hall.