TECH-SAVVY pupils are the top of the class after winning a prestigious innovation award.

An eight-strong team from Cedars School in Greenock won local heat of the Lego League Challenge at Ayrshire College in Kilmarnock.

The first and second year pupils battled it out against some of the top schools in the west of Scotland in a challenge that saw them build and programme a robot - from LEGO.

Graham Offord, one of three of the school's STEM ambassadors, says the team did the town proud.

Sam Scorthorne, 13, who was the team captain, said: "I'm really pleased and really proud of what we've achieved. We too part in a similar competition in Glasgow last year and came second, so we are really pleased to come first this year."

Ellie Atkinson, 13, took on the role of project manager.

She said: "It was a good experience, although we didn't think we would win as most the schools had taken part before.

"I think we learned to work as a team and we were delighted with the robot."

Head teacher Jennifer Offord said: "I'm absolutely delighted, the children worked really hard on this project and made a superb presentation - I'm super proud of them all.

"It's was all their own hard work."

Eva Kelly, pictured with Sam at the front, said: "Sometimes parts were a challenge, but that just made us more determined to solve the problems and succeed."

The team will now go through to the British finals in Harrogate in April.

Ellie said: "We only had a week and half to prepare for the regional competition, we will have more time to get ready this time around.

"We will give it our best shot - it would be really cool to be the best school in the country."