Pupils are celebrating winning a competition to design an environmentally-friendly car of the future for Volkswagen UK.

Four youngsters from Mead Primary School, �Amersham Road, Harold Hill, won the Volkswagen UK Search for Blue Minds Competition.

They impressed the judges with their car made up of �solar panels, which has the ability to read the owner’s retina, meaning that they no longer need a key, and with measures to stop drivers �going over the speed limit.

Teacher and sustainable schools co-ordinator, Stephen Moon said: “It came as a �really big surprise to me �because I knew that their �design was good but because there were so many entries I never dreamed that they would win.”

Kaliste Mollet, Calvin Gowers, Raymond Cando all aged ten and Craigh Mason, nine, spent four weeks �researching.

They entered the London based competition two weeks ago and three days later found out that they had beaten 300 schools.

Mr Moon said: “The children did really well considering that we only had four weeks to come up with the whole thing.

“They were brilliant because I sent them home every day with a different research project and they came back and were always so enthusiastic.”

The pupils’ winning design together with other entries is displayed in the Science Museum until Sunday October 30.

They have also been invited to the Volkswagen Museum in Germany and have won a Nintendo 3DS each.

Headteacher Sue Garner said: “I am incredibly proud.”