A SEVEN-year-old from Okehampton has been chosen by the Children's Laureate as a runner-up in the nationwide RSPB Wildverse poetry competition.

The annual competition attracted 1,850 entries from all across the UK, and Kit Sunderland was one of just four runners-up in the under-eights category with his poem 'What's in the Wood?'

The winners and runners-up were selected by Children's Laureate and author of 'The Gruffalo' Julia Donaldson. She said of Kit's entry: 'I liked all the similes in this poem about an autumn evening, and I loved the surprise ending: "I puff up the hill home for toast and jam".'

The competition, run in partnership with Fun Kids radio station and Pure, the world's leading radio manufacturer, invited children and young people aged up to 19 to get creative and submit their original poems based on any aspect of nature and wildlife.

It is part of the RSPB's work to help young people to connect with nature so that they go on to care for it as adults.

All the winning and runner up poems have been recorded by pupils of Burgoyne Middle School, Potton in Bedfordshire, and broadcast on Fun Kids Radio between Friday December 21 and Monday December 24.

What's in the Wood?

Shiny sunlight twinkles in my eyes

The wind blows through my ears

The moon is in the sky like a capital D without a hole

The gushing river bellows like a spitting python

My boots go splishy sploshy splashy in the puddles

The autumn ground in like a giant leave carpet

Beech leaves glow orange fire

Bouncy moss on a tree feels like a fluffy spring

Holly berries shine like small clowns' noses

A white feather floats down like a piece of snow

A pheasant scuttles along looking for food

I puff up the hill home for toast and jam.