STUDENT Vicky Luu has taken the first step towards a trip to New York by winning the local round of the international peace poster competition.

Vicky, a year eight pupil at Felixstowe Academy, took part in the event sponsored by the Lions Club of Felixstowe.

Her entry was among more than 375,000 submitted worldwide in the 25th Annual Lions International Peace Poster Contest, which is held to emphasize the importance of world peace.

Second in the Felixstowe round was Hollie Gallant and third Thomas Stafford.

Lions president Philip Weatherhogg, who presented the trip with their prizes after the judging of entries at the academy, said he was impressed by the standard and effort of all the students who took part.

He was hopeful Vicky’s picture would show how students had tried to portray the contest‘s theme of Imagine Peace when it goes forward to the next round, the Zone Contest to be judged against the winners from other clubs.

The winner of that contest then goes forward to the all England contest.

After that stage the winning poster from England will go to the finals in New York where the international grand prize winner and two members of their family will be invited to go to a presentation ceremony on Lions Day at the United Nations Building in New York.