A TEAM of young ballerinas are savouring glory after winning a top prize in a prestigious competition.

The girls from Mandaleigh Dance School in Fareham took gold at the recent British Arts Award held at the Polish Theatre in Hammersmith, London.

Their routine, Blue Waters, was choreographed by dance teacher, Leigh Bushnell, and led to the 12 girls beating dozens of other schools from across the country.

Mrs Bushnell said her girls sailed through preliminary heats and the regional finals to the grand final.

She said: "It's a very prestigious award and I'm very proud of the girls. They all made a commitment to dance and train every day and this is their reward. Some of them will hopefully go on with their careers and having the British Arts Award on their CV looks very good."

The team from Mandaleigh Dance School trains regularly at the 1st Catisfield Scout Hall in Blackbrook Road, Fareham, where as many as 90 youngsters, aged three to 16, learn not only ballet but modern dance and tap.

Jennifer Spurrier, 13, was part of the winning team. She said: "It was just really fun to take part. We did rehearse a lot and the competition was a good day for us."

Teammate, Alessendra Bushnell, 12, has been training since she was two. She said: "I've got so used to all the training that it's a routine that I've fallen into over the years. I was nervous at the competition to begin with but in the end it went really well."