A YOUNG West Devon artist is celebrating being best in the West, in an international poster competition.

Bethan Wesley, a pupil at Mount House School, entered the annual Lions International peace poster competition last year, winning the local round with her poster depicting a dove of peace. Her entry, one of 400, was then put forward to the regional stage of the competition, with a chance of winning the top prize, an all-expenses paid visit to the United Nations in New York.

Alan Wroath of Tavistock Lions Club said: 'Bethan's beautiful picture of a dove enfolding the world was stunning and we are delighted to announce that her poster was judged to be the best in the South West.

'Althugh she didn't win the national competition, her entry was highly commended by the judges.'

To celebrate her excellent achievement, Bethan attended a Lions Club meeting where she was presented with a book token by Richard Hamer, president of Tavistock Lions. Later this year she will attend the Lions South West district convention in Torquay, where she will be presented with her district prize.

The theme for this year's poster competition is 'Children know Peace', so youngsters who will be between the ages of eleven and 13 in November of this year should put their thinking caps on— perhaps one of the Tavistock area's talented artists will do as well as Bethan in the 2011-2012 competition.