A CREATIVE youngster is celebrating today after his quirky design for a new television cartoon character was selected above thousands of other entries from across the UK.

A CREATIVE youngster is celebrating today after his quirky design for a new television cartoon character was selected above thousands of other entries from across the UK.

Talented Ben Steele, ten, took up the challenge of coming up with a brand new character for the Likeaball show, a popular children's television series.

Arty Ben wasted no time in inventing Loverball - a creature which gives love to all who deserve it.

He entered his creation into the competition run in Kick! magazine and weeks later Ben, of Eustace Road, Ipswich, was rewarded with a prize and the promise of having his picture in the magazine.

Tina Steele, Ben's mum, said: “I didn't know anything about it. Ben had just asked me to post something for him. So it was even more of a surprise for me when there was a prize for him.

“He got a signed, limited edition photograph of the creator of the Likeaballs, along with a letter and got to have his photograph in the magazine.”

The proud mother says she will now persuade Ben to enter more competitions.

She added: “He is very creative and does a lot of artwork and crafts. It's like I told him - you have to be in it to win it.”

Jim Quick, creator of The Likeaballs, was supposed to pick just one winner but instead chose ten entries and made a whole new team with the characters.

He said: “I was absolutely staggered at the creativity of all the entrants when creating the new Likeaballs characters - with hundreds of entries.

“I found it difficult to stop at choosing just one winner so I decided to make up an All-Star 11's Likeaballs team as well and I love Loverball!”

The new characters, including Loverball, can be seen in the March edition of Kick! Magazine.

Have you been awarded for your creativity? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk

The Likeaballs are ball shaped aliens which have to combat the increasingly bizarre plots and plans of their arch enemies,

The Dislikeaballs, led by arch-villain and fart machine, Count Horriball, are the Likeaballs arch enemy.

The series, proved a massive hit on the CBBC channel and BBC2 when it was broadcast last year and on BBC1 this year.

Each episode sees Team Likeaball, led by their captain, Kickaball, caught up in fantastic footy adventures, including playing weird and crazy alien footballers with teams that consist of rock creatures, blobs and weedy geeks. They even play against a giant's fingers!

The Likeaballs have been adopted as the official cartoon of the FA Premier League.