MATHS enthusiasts at a Hampshire school are pitting their wits against their European counterparts.

Three bright sparks from Bishop's Waltham who attend Swanmore Secondary School have won a place in a prestigious international competition.

Toby Bedford, 14, of Rareridge Lane; Simon Haines, 14, of Little Shore Lane, and Oliver Ritchings, 13, of Hamble Springs, have an agonising wait to find out how they fared in the first leg of the competition.

The puzzles they have to work out are put together by the University of Waterloo in Canada.

Deputy head Niel McLeod said: "We are very proud of them. There is no pen and paper involved - it's just down to mental arithmetic."

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