TORQUAY Girls' Grammar School pupil Rebecca Thorne (pictured above) will take centre stage later this month after winning a poetry competition.

The 16-year-old pupil impressed judges and beat off entries from a host of South Devon schools with her thoughts on the theme of 'growing'.

Rebecca will now join 20 Samaritan volunteers who will be reading 40 pieces of poetry and prose to raise funds for the Torquay branch's 24/7 service.

South Devon Samaritans' director, Carol Crawshaw, said: 'The judging panel was impressed by all the short-listed poems, but unanimously chose Rebecca's.

"The way in which she conveyed the feelings of her age group, and her use of language, show an early talent and we hope that this will encourage her to go on writing, and continue to be published."

The 75-minute event will be held in the Central Church in Torquay at 7.30pm on Thursday where minister Rev Glyn Millington will be one of the readers.

The event should offer a mostly light-hearted view of life through the eyes of writers ranging from Shakespeare and Hardy to Joyce Grenfell and Pam Ayres.

For tickets contact Torbay Bookshop on 01803 522011 or buy on the door.