ECONOMICS students from Blackburn have got through to the final of a national competition in London.

Four sixth form pupils from Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, in West Park Road, will travel to London later this month to face five other schools and a panel of judges chaired by the Governor of the Bank of England, Sir Edward George.

The competition, in its first year, is called the Target Two Point Five Challenge as the teams are asked to assess the current economic conditions and then set an interest rate that will enable a target interest rate of 2.5 per cent to be achieved. This is the same challenge faced by the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee, which is charged with hitting the government's inflation target.

The QEGS team is captained by 17-year-old Jonathan West, from Great Harwood, with three other Economics students supporting him. Dominic Ensor, 18, is from Blackburn, Fredrik Ogilvie, from Brinscall, and 17-year-old Alex Ross, from Blackburn.

In the Area Final in Manchester the team overcame a strong challenge from five other top schools from across the north of England and won £1,000 for the school.

Head of Economics Trevor Glover said he was delighted with the pupils' achievement.

He said: "Entering the competition in its first year was a step into the unknown, but the team has done superbly to reach the final. Presenting their policy recommendations in front of the Governor of the Bank of England is sure to be nerve-racking but also a great experience."