SCHOOL girls are being encouraged to test their codebreaking skills in a competition to uncover the UK's brightest cyber minds.

The entrants’ intellect and cyber skills will be tested as they decrypt a series of specially-created logic boxes and crosswords.

Last year Westholme School in Blackburn and Clitheroe Royal Grammer School finished in the top 100 from the 8,000 girls taking part.

This year’s top 10 scoring teams will be invited to take part in a live national head-to-head final in Manchester in March 2018.

GCHQ Director Jeremy Fleming said: “I hope many girls from Lancashire will be inspired to enter – and perhaps take the prize!

“GCHQ is committed to protecting the digital homeland and making the UK the safest place to live online. We need the best and brightest people – girls and boys – with a passion for technology, who can deliver the nation’s cyber security.

“Too often, society limits girls in what they aspire to achieve. Our CyberFirst Girls Competition will give teams the opportunity to develop new skills, meet new people and gain an exciting insight into the world of national security.”

The competition is for girls in Year, This year’s winning school will receive a grand prize of £1,000 towards their school’s IT equipment, while each winner will take home individual prizes.

The online phase of the competition closes on February 5, register to take part at cyberfirst.ncsc.gov.uk/girlscompetition.