YOUNGSTERS in a part of Hartlepool are being urged to put pen to paper in a competition which could win them tickets to a football match.

The town's New Deal for Communities (NDC) initiative is running the competition to encourage young people in the area to explore creative writing skills.

The challenge is to write a poem or story about anything to do with football. The prize for each of the four best entries is a pair of tickets to the Hartlepool United against Sheffield Wednesday match at Hartlepool's Victoria Park stadium on Friday, October 10.

The competition is open to anyone under 16 and living in the NDC area.

Stories should be no longer than 1,000 words, and poems should be no longer than 30 lines. Each entry must be accompanied by the youngster's name, address and age.

The deadline is Friday, September 26, and the four winning entries will be published in the NDC's newsletter.

Entries should be sent to Karen Sheader at Sir William Gray House, Clarence Road, Hartlepool, TS24 8BT.