TWO students at universities in the North-East and North Yorkshire have been awarded medals to recognise their achievements in engineering.

Robert Argile, from Newcastle University, and Peter Nightingale, from York University, have won the Sir William Siemens university medal, which was first presented in 1993 to mark the 150th anniversary of Siemens in the UK.

The medal is given to 14 of the country's top science and technology students each year.

Robert is studying electrical and electronic engineering and is working at the University of Cincinatti, in America, after winning the Rowe-Textron Scholarship.

During his time at Newcastle University, he was awarded the Sloan Prize for being the mechanical engineering student with the most outstanding performance in a year, having attained an overall average of 83.3 per cent.

He also gained the top mark for his individual project

Peter is studying computer systems and software engineering.

He achieved the highest overall mark on the course and professors at York University said that throughout the four years he had been there, he had excelled in all aspects of work including the hardware, software and theory sections.