A 14-year-old from Finchley has been named the regional winner of a writing award.

Conor Quinn, who attends Finchley Catholic High School, fought off tough competition from more than 10,000 children with his 500-word story, set in a futuristic world in 3017.

The competition is organised by Explore Learning and TV presenter Steve Backshall is this year's judge for the ultimate award, which will be announced on June 19.

He said: “If I didn’t know this was a competition for young writers, I’d believe I was reading the scribblings of Isaac Asimov or Philip K Dick, and while there were elements from the great works of science fiction, every story was original, and had its own sense of individuality.

"What astounded me more than anything was that these young people had not only imagined future worlds, but imbued them with the conundrums of our modern planet.”

Mr Backshall will surprise the overall winner in their assembly on Monday to award the winner £500 worth of books for their school and a trip to DisneyLand Paris.