Two school news teams were at the Houses of Parliament for a special awards ceremony.

Colchester's Thomas, Lord Audley repeated last year's highly commended grading in the Times Educational Supplement's Newsday competition.

Hazlemere County Junior School in Hawthorn Avenue, Greenstead, won a commendation in their age group. Their newspapers - the Griffin and the Greenstead Express - had to be a mix of up-to-the minute national, international, local and school news.

The TLA team of 17, based in Monkwick Avenue, became reporters, sub-editors, photographers and production assistants to create the paper in just one day.

English teacher Dominic Howkins, who ran the project with colleague Sarah Byham, said: "It is a very well-deserved prize for all the hard work and effort put in by all members of the team, working on an extremely successful, award-winning publication."

Griffin editor Rebekah Hounsell and team member William Hauwert, both from year nine, received their prize from Leeds Labour MP John Gunnell.

Year six pupils Samantha Watkins and Laura Leathers represented Hazlemere, and went on a Houses of Parliament tour.

Colchester MP Bob Russell will present the certificate to Hazlemere's news team later this month.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.