A TEENAGE inventor from the Ribble Valley has been shortlisted for a prestigious award after designing a robot for the future.

Daniel Riding, 14, from Hurst Green, has been nominated for the Young Innovator of the Year Awards for his robotic hedge trimmer design.

The Year 9 Oakhill College student has been shortlisted in the under 16 male class and is set to travel to Harper Adams University of Shropshire on Monday, June 30, for the awards ceremony.

After being given the brief, ‘what else could they do?’, Daniel worked for a month to design the trimmer and ‘couldn’t believe it’ when he came back to an ‘official-looking’ letter after being on holiday.

Daniel, who lives in The Dean, said: “I’m really excited about going to the ceremony at the end of the month.

“I have always liked designing things and I used to draw a lot of cars.

“It didn’t take me take me too long to come up with the design and I decided to submit it through a short video.

“After school I would like to carry on with the engineering side of things because I really like knowing how things work.

“I couldn’t believe it when I came home to see the letter.

“I’m keeping my fingers crossed for the day and I will be going down with my sister and my mum.

“I have never entered a competition like this before and it’s nice to be recognised.”

His dad, Graham, 47, said: “It’s great that he has been recognised in this way. We are all looking forward to the big day but it’s amazing that he has got so far and I’m very proud of him.

“The ICT facilities and teaching at the school in Whalley has allowed him to gain the skills that he has then used in this project.

“This has certainly boosted his confidence and is a great experience for him.”