A local graphic design student beat off entries from as far wide as Australia, Bangladesh and Canada to win a competition to create the new logo for the Ottery Help Scheme.

Varrie Nielsen beat off more than 200 rivals to pick up the £100 prize after the charity’s trustees said her image best represented their values.

The Help Scheme’s secretary said many of the entrants were from The King’s School in Ottery, but the competition attracted submissions from across the country and even places like India, Nigeria, Portugal and Slovakia.

But despite the global rivals a week-long process of blind judging by the six trustees whittled down the designs to a shortlist which also contained two other local entrants.

Bethany Culshaw and Jasmine McCann, both students at The King’s, were awarded £20 each as finalists, but it was Varrie’s design which will be used by the local charity in years to come.

The prizes will be presented by Nick Agg-Manning, one of the Help Scheme’s trustees this afternoon at the Ottery Town Council offices.