BUDDING journalists told it like it is - and won the praise of a university vice chancellor.

A group of teenagers attending doomed Langbaurgh School, Middlesbrough, reported in their one-off edition newspaper the news that their school was to close and make way for a new city academy.

Their newspaper also included a guide to starting life at university, such as the cost of student accommodation and tuition fees.

The Langbaurgh News was judged by a panel to be the best read in a competition.

The youngsters were among 160 pupils, aged 13 and 14, to receive certificates of achievement from Vice Chancellor, Professor Derek Fraser at a ceremony on campus, yesterday.

Langbaurgh was one of 12 Middlesbrough secondary schools to be included in a mentor scheme, run by the university, in a bid to increase educational standards and aspirations among young people still at school.

Langbaurgh's mentors were university students Lorna MacKie, who is studying social sciences and criminology and Leona Hunter, who is reading psychology and criminology.

They attended the presentation ceremony with Langbaurgh teacher Sylvia Walker.

Each member of the winning team was presented with a £10 gift voucher.