ARTISTIC youngsters from Felixstowe are in with the chance of winning a trip to New York.The budding artists came first in the local heat of an international peace competition.

ARTISTIC youngsters from Felixstowe are in with the chance of winning a trip to New York.

The budding artists came first in the local heat of an international peace competition.

The Peace Poster competition is run by Lions International and designed to promote the idea of world peace among young people.

It is now in its 16th year and more than 325,000 children from across the world are expected to take part.

Felixstowe Lions Club organised the competition in the town's schools and have now chosen two winners who will go forward to the regional stages of the competition.

This year's theme was 'create a brighter tomorrow' and year eight pupils Kieran Glenn and Sophie Boleyn were the lucky winners, chosen by Felixstowe Lions' president John Ramsay.

Their posters will now be on display in the town's library until mid-December.

Kieran, 12, of Orwell High School, said that he "just thought about the world being happy and united together" when he designed his poster.

The winner from Deben High School was Sophie Boleyn, 12, who said she wanted her poster to "show the world before the light shone on it, with yesterday not having light on it."

Their posters will go forward in to the regional heat at Mildenhall later this month and, if successful there, would face a further three rounds, competing against other young artists from across the world.

Eventually one winner will be chosen from 24 national winners. They will win a trip to New York on United Nations Lions Day and receive a grand prize of $2,500.