Pupils at Catcote Specialist Business and Enterprise College, in Hartlepool have been taking a leaf out of business entrepreneur Sir Alan Sugar's book.

A team of 12 students have taken on a business challenge that would not be out of place on BBC hit show The Apprentice.

The Eagles Eye Young Enterprise Team have devised a business selling tea towels and eco-friendly shopping bag with personalised prints and logos on.

And after trying the scheme out with great success in their Catcote Road school, selling 100 towels to parents at Christmas, they are hoping start offering the service to other schools.

The 16 to 19-year-olds are overjoyed to return from The Young Enterprise Area Finals for Tees Valley and Durham having won a trophy for the Best Trade Stand, sponsored by Sabic UK Petrochemicals.

At the event, at the Wynyard Rooms, they competed against eight other schools from North East England, including Hartlepool's English Martyrs School and Sixth Form College, making a presentation to a panel of judges.

School enterprise coordinator Alison Brown said: "Judges found the product quite unique.

"They liked the way that they were moving on and looking at manufacturing and sales."

Newcastle design company Spaceworks will be helping the students to develop their product over forthcoming months.