A TEAM of economists from a Malvern school has won first prize in a taxing competition.

Malvern St James students were asked to propose a new tax for the national Challenge the Chancellor competition and write an article justifying the proposal and explaining its economic implications.

Their winning entry, Santa Claus Is Coming To Tax, was assessed by a team of judges from the Chartered Institute of Taxation.

Sally Bennett, economics teacher at the school, said: "The girls worked exceptionally hard preparing their entry and we are very proud of them. It is a real honour for both the girls and school to be presented with this prestigious award."

Their entry was a scheme to encourage households to recycle Christmas trees and waste at the end of the festive season.

It is designed to promote environmental awareness and provide a financial incentive for people to visit their local recycling site.

Students travelled to London on Wednesday, April 25, to receive the Schools' Challenge Shield from Dawn Primarolo, who is paymaster general at the Treasury.