CLEVER arguments on skinny models and violent offenders have won two Taunton students a place in the final of a national debating competition.

Richard Huish College students Hero Austin and Leanne Sweet will be travelling up to Oxford on March 10 to compete in the national final of the Oxford Union debating competition.

They won through against stiff competition from schools throughout the South-West at a round held at Richard Huish College on the February 1.

They had to talk in two debates for which they only received the title 15 minutes before competition. These were "This House would ban size zero models" and "This house would only imprison violent offenders".

A college spokesman said: "Hero and Leanne won with intelligent and cogent arguments which caught the judges' attention."