TWO Dyson Perrins High School pupils have won a national prize for their invention of a home security device.

Year 11 pupils William Burton and Kevin Downes came up with the Window Check System, which is designed to make sure windows are closed when householders go out.

The pair were challenged to design a new electronics product for Search for Tomorrow's Inventors, a national competition for schools set up in response to the demand from teachers for curriculum-related lesson ideas to help them teach electronics at secondary level.

Barnsley-based firm Maplin Electronics developed a detailed teaching resource pack complete with lesson plans, support sheets and project suggestions, which was sent to 2,500 design and technology teachers on request.

After judging the final six entries, inventor Trevor Baylis chose the Dyson Perrins window device as a winner.

It will help protect home owners from accidentally making themselves a target by leaving windows open, something the pupils are constantly reminded of by their parents.

Mr Baylis said: "School children are very capable of developing new and innovative products and need to be informed about how to protect their designs and progress their ideas. It is crucial for businesses to invest in the workforce of tomorrow by supporting education."

Kevin Lawrence, head of electronics at Dyson Perrins, said: "William and Kevin did very well, their design was such a practical and useful product. One of the boys' grandfathers is a patenting officer and he has thought about patenting the idea."

The school will receive £1,000 of electronics products while the winning pupils will each be given £250 worth of Maplin Electronics products.