Oxfordshire?s Young Consumers challenge the South

PUPILS from Wheatley Park School have defended their title to become Oxfordshire?s Young Consumers of the Year for 2005. They will now represent Oxfordshire at the Southern Region Finals to be held in March.

This event is part of the national ?Young Consumer of the Year? competition and the County and regional heats are organised by Oxfordshire County Council Trading Standards Service.

The quiz is sponsored by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). It is aimed at young people aged between 14 and 17, and tests them on their knowledge of consumer rights, environmental issues, business, money, food, Europe, travel and personal safety.

In the County round (run as a postal competition), Wheatley Park just saw off the challenge of Abingdon School, with Icknield Community College in third.

In the Regional Final Wheatley Park School will be competing against schools from Dorset, West Berkshire, Swindon, and Gloucestershire. The winning team from the Southern Region heat will win a place in the Grand Finals at the Trading Standards Institute?s National Conference at Brighton in the summer.