A GROUP of Basingstoke students are celebrating after coming top of their heat in the 2007 Rock Challenge.

The Queen Mary's College group impressed the judges with a piece entitled "One Face of a Thousand People", which focused on human cloning and the harvesting of human organs.

They will now go forward to the Southern Open Grand Final, which will be held at Portsmouth Guildhall on Thursday, May 31.

Ben Davies, 18, an A-level and BTEC dance student who helped to choreograph the dance, said: "It was an amazing feeling to come top of our heat.

"We put in a lot of hard work and effort so we were over the moon that it paid off.

"Now it will be a matter of fine-tuning the dance to take to the final."

A team from Aldworth Science College, who also took part, finished second in their heat. The Basingstoke secondary school pupils performed an emotive piece entitled "SOS Endangered", which focused on how our planet is dying and the need to take action.

Headteacher Julie Churcher said: "I was very proud to see that we had Year 7s through to Year 10s and we had the youngest competitors within our performance group."

Aldworth pupils also won awards for the best stage crew and the best costumes.

Mrs Churcher added: "We have been competing for 10 years and it's the first time we have been awarded a placing in a heat - we are absolutely over the moon."

The Rock Challenge is an international performing arts competition for schools and colleges. It aims to encourage young people to lead healthier lifestyles, have fun and be their best without the need for tobacco, alcohol or any other substance.

More than 5,000 young people, aged between seven and 18, from 78 different schools, will be taking part in this year's event.