SMART youngsters at a Southampton school have been challenged to design a car of the future.

About 70 Year 6 pupils at St Mark's Junior School, Shirley, will be putting on their creative caps as part of a design project being run in conjunction with Mercedes.

Staff from Smart at Totton, including Graham Emery, pictured, visited the Stafford Road school yesterday to launch the challenge.

Youngsters have until February 12 to get their designs on paper.

Head teacher Anne Steele-Arnott said the vehicle project was a way of making design and technology come alive for young entrepreneurs of the future.

"We have some very exciting ideas," she said.