PUPILS who thought of an ingenious way to combat truancy have won a place in the North-west finals of a Young Enterprise scheme.

The 21-strong Blue Aardvark group, from Westhoughton High School, won a place in the regional finals and then fought off even stiffer competition in the West Pennine finals with their idea for stamping out truancy by texting parents on their mobile phones.

The team has already won national acclaim after scooping first prize in a competition run by the BBC, the Design Council and the British Chambers of Commerce.

The North-west finals will be held at the Lowry Centre in Salford on Sunday, June 16.