THEY came close, but in the end the arty youngsters listed were just pipped at the poster.

Three designs by schoolchildren from across Fareham came within an inch of winning the Daily Echo's poster competition as part of a campaign against vandalism in the town.

Out of the hundreds of entries we received, they were the cream of the crop in our bid to find the design that would be made into a poster and distributed across Fareham.

Not only did the posters show real flair for design but also included anti-vandalism messages the children themselves had made up.

One eye-catching slogan read: "Don't vandalise, just socialise", written by ten-year-old Britoni Martin from Crofton Anne Dale school.

Member of the judging panel Anne Parmiter, from Fareham Art Group, praised the design.

"I really liked it, it had a very original message and obviously some thought had gone into it."

Fellow runner-up Paul Metcalf, 10, also won a special commendation from the judges for his use of graffiti-style writing to get his message across.

Second place went to Lee Walker who at just nine years old produced one of the most colourful designs in the competition.

Executive leader of Fareham Sean Woodward, who was also on the judging panel, said: "It certainly would make you stop and look at it. I particularly like the slogan - Beat the Crime Dial 999 - that he uses at the bottom."

But in the end the judging panel had to pick a winner, who will be revealed in tomorrow's Daily Echo.

The competition attracted hundreds of entries from schools across the borough and was launched as part of the vandalism crackdown by Fareham Council and Hampshire police.

A taskforce was launched in December in a bid to target vandals who cause thousands of pounds every year to community facilities.

THE RUNNERS-UP:

Second Place: Lee Walker, aged 9, from Oak Meadow Primary School

Third Place: Paul Metcalf, aged 10, from Titchfield Primary School

Fourth Place: Britoni Martin, aged 10, from Crofton Anne Dale School

Residents can report vandalism to the council by texting or sending a photo-message to: 07876 131415. Acts of vandalism can also be reported to Fareham police on 0845 045 4545 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.