A WEST Devon girl is off to Belfast to take part and to represent the region at the Bar National Mock Trial Competition.

Nicola Blowey from Horrabridge, along with her team from Plymouth High School for Girls, recently won the area heat of the Bar competition and will now go on to compete at the national final in Belfast in March.

Nicola, 16, represented the school as an advocate defending the actions of a security guard at a leisure centre. Other members of the school team took the roles of jury, witnesses, court clerk and usher.

Nicola said: 'I'm really pleased, we worked hard and it was loads of fun. Now we're going to work extra hard to do well at Belfast. We're all so excited.'

Now in its 20th year, the competition is open to state schools across the country and is run by the Citizenship Foundation.