YOUNGSTERS tested their public speaking skills in the local heat of the Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland (RIBI) Youth Speaks competition.

The Rotary Club of Plympton hosted the event which saw two teams from Mount Street School fight it out to be crowned the local 'Youth Speaks' champion.

The event covered a range of topics, mainly focusing on the 2012 Olympic Games, but also topics like 'Should dog breeding be banned?' and 'A case to raise the age restriction to drive'.

Both teams were said to speak with "ease and eloquence" despite their young age.

The competition has been granted the prestigious Inspire mark by the London 2012 Inspire Programme.

Malcolm Carmichael, president of the Rotary Club of Plympton who hosted the event, said, "RIBI Youth Speaks is tremendous fun. I was amazed at the knowledge, the humour and the delivery by the teams."

The winning team now move onto the district final and will hopefully progress to the regional and then national final.

The night was also a special occasion for Jade Joll, a member of the winning Mount Street School Youth Speak's team as it was announced that she was the local winner of the RIBI Young Writer competition.

Her entry now goes onto the district final which concludes at the end of February.

If she wins the next round, Jade will be entered into the national final at the end of March.