LYN Pearson may have finished second in the School Cook of the Year competition, but she is still number one in the eyes of the many youngsters she feeds every school day.

The mother-of-three, from Wolsingham, in Weardale, was beaten by one point yesterday when she travelled to London to take part in the competition.

Last night, her mother, Aline Pearson said her daughter was bitterly disappointed to have come so close to winning the title, but said she was proud of her achievment.

She said: "I have spoken to her on the phone and both she and her bosses are gutted to think she was so close.

"There were 22,000 cooks when this competition started and she has finished second out of all those people.''

Mrs Pearson had to compete against eight other cooks in front of a panel of judges including celebrity chef Steven Saunders and two 11-year-old schoolchildren.

Her menu of Moroccan lamb with orange and carrot cous-cous in tomato salsa, and summer fruit crumble cake with ruby coulis, helped her to win both the local and regional rounds of the event.

The whole meal had be created for just 75p and Mrs Pearson had an hour and a half to prepare it. It also had to meet Government nutritional standards.

Success might not have come to fruition in London, but Mrs Pearson has already won the hearts of the children at Wolsingham Primary School with her cooking.

She faces the challenge of cooking for more than 170 children as well as catering for special diets.

Since she started at the school about three years ago the number of youngsters tucking into her dinners have more than doubled.

Before she left for London on Tuesday morning, she said: "I love talking with the kids. They are wonderful. I know all their names and I have got to know all their likes and dislikes, what they'll eat and what they won't.''

She said she had enjoyed taking part in the competition and had gone one better than last year when she was knocked out of the regional finals.

She said: "It is good fun trying to find something new for school menus. It also gives you a chance to show off what skills you have got, other than being a school cook.''