Young poet Alex Barry was presented with a camera by his head teacher today after scooping £5,000 for his school.

Hove Park School pupil Alex, 11, won first prize in a national contest to celebrate the Human Rights Act, which came into force yesterday.

Alex decided to write the poem after school governor Paul Mitchell, a lawyer, gave a talk to pupils about the Act.

Alex said: "Mr Mitchell's talk was quite hard to understand because it was all law talk.

"So I went away and thought about it and decided to write a poem, because I'm quite good at writing them. I kept rewriting it until it was good."

Alex was one of 250 entrants to the competition from across England.

He was presented with a £5,000 prize for his school by Home Secretary Jack Straw at a ceremony in London.

This morning head Peter Bratton presented Alex with a camera and said: "This is one of the best things that has happened to the school for a long time. I'm thrilled to bits.

"Alex has been very unassuming. He wasn't jumping around. He really is a model student."