STUDENTS from Barrow Sixth Form College have been crowned as the area's top young tycoons.

They beat young entrepreneurs from a dozen other companies - drawn from a total of 11 secondary schools - in the South Cumbria area heat of the Young Enterprise competition, in which students run their own business, making and selling products or services during an academic year.

It was the first time that schools from both South Lakeland and Barrow had competed against each other, following the merger of the two YE area boards this year.

Under the new set-up, two Young Enterprise companies - the area winners and runners-up - will go forward to the Cumbria final of the competition, due to be held on May 3.

It means the Barrow company, which traded as Fest, selling home-produced recipe books, will be joined in the county final by students from Windermere St Anne's School. Their business, Bijou, which sold handmade cards and earrings, came second.

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