Youngsters are preparing to drive their home-made electric car to victory.

Pupils from St Paul's Catholic College, Haywards Heath, have qualified for the final of Greenpower 2000.

Schools participating in the competition have been supplied with a 24-volt electric motor and four 12-volt car batteries - and the rest is up to them.

They qualified in a six-hour endurance race in July and are now improving the car for the final, which takes place on October 15 at Goodwood.

The competition is open to pre-GCSE students and was organised by Sussex Enterprise to promote the theoretical and practical aspects of engineering.

It has proved a hit with Sussex schools and 50 cars were entered at the start of the competition.

The trophies will be presented by TV celebrity Johnny Ball.