A REDCAR student has won a competition run by IKEA after working with the retailer on a design project.

Sam Rimington, 16, from Redcar, worked with the Swedish company's Gateshead store on a three-month "live" project, along with fellow design technology students at Prior Pursglove College, in Guisborough.

The students had to design a suitable product that would prevent groceries from spoiling before they are eaten.

Top designers from IKEA chose him as the winner with the best idea and his product, which is a "flatpack" plywood and aluminium fruit holder which stops the fruit from being in contact, will now be displayed on the IKEA website.

He has also won £100 worth of vouchers for the store.

The students visited IKEA at the beginning of the project to learn about their ethos and design trends within the store as well as the company.

The project was set by Jill Cordes, interior designer at IKEA Gateshead, and will form part of the students' assessed portfolio of work for their final mark.

Sam, who is also studying computing, maths and physics, designed a fruit holder made from plywood and aluminium which will stop the fruit from contacting each other.

It can also be taken apart and flat packed in line with many of the products sold in IKEA.

He said: “The experience of working to design a brief for such a large company as IKEA has been really enjoyable and given me lots of useful experience. I’m really pleased I was chosen as the winner as I’ve put a lot of time and commitment into the work.”