A 16-year-old Newcastle boy scooped the highest accolades for the second year running at the Young Electronic Designer Awards in July. Martin Rosinski, of Ponteland Community High School, received both the Duke of York’s Award and First Prize in the intermediate category with his timely railway safety device. The gadget electronically detects broken or buckled rails and has the potential to prevent the kinds of accidents that have cost so many lives in recent years and have forced Railtrack to manually check hundreds of miles of tracks in the past year.

Other major award winners included, in the senior category, 18-year-old Stephan de Georgio of Brentwood School, Essex for his graphic interface for a mini disc player and Johnny Will and Harry Mustard, both aged 14, of Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh. Their childproof security system for domestic power tools won them both the junior category and the most commercially viable project award. The Institution of Electrical Engineers Best Newcomer Award went to 16-year-old Michael Porton of Fitzalan High School in Cardiff for his electronics display for learner motorcyclists.

The YEDA Awards recognise the achievements of students who have drawn on modern technology to find solutions to everyday problems.

Among other award winners were Emma Brockett (13) and Jackie Caldwell (14) of Duncanrig School in East Kilbride, who designed a system to detect hidden domestic water leaks and Nana Akyeampong, 17, for her flashing warning triangle for motorists.

For further details of the annual YEDA Awards, contact the YEDA Trust, tel: 01798 875559.E-mail: yeda@cix.co.uk