DELIGHTED primary school children took part in a 'fantastic' creative writing competition in honour of the Magna Carta.

Grange C of E Primary School and Allithwaite C of E Primary took part in the event at Cartmel Priory and produced some work of outstanding quality.

The competition was judged by Gazette cartoonist and local wordsmith Colin Shelbourn and Canadian poet Kim Morrissey.

Focussing on the Magna Carta's values, the children produced poetry based around the themes of justice and fairness, with the two winners, one from each school, being awarded a commemorative bowl made from the reclaimed rafters of the Priory.

The overall winners were Douglas McCleery, of Allithwaite C of E, and Herbie Harrison, from Grange C of E.

Phillipa Summers, head teacher at Grange Primary, said: "Herbie's poem was called 'If The World Was Fair' and it was all to do with freedom of speech and equal rights.

"It was lovely to see that the things we have been working on for a couple of years through the expression of their poetry. It's really moving to hear it being read out and it's moving for them as well.

"The event was fantastic for us as a school and it's great that the children had that opportunity."

"We thought the standard was excellent," said Mr Shelbourn. "What we liked was that some had been set a format by their teachers and each of the children had stuck to it whereas Douglas just did his own thing entirely."