BEADY-EYED students have triumphed in a countywide business contest.

A team of 15 from Invicta Girls Grammar School, Maidstone, won the Young Enterprise Kent final held at Priestfield Stadium in Gillingham.

It is the first time Invicta has won the county final and the victory came just weeks after the school became the first in Kent to clinch Government-backed business and enterprise status.

Beady Bits, a company making and selling bead necklaces, bracelets, belts and scarves, beat seven rivals to claim the winner's shield.

Managing director Selina Taras, 17, said after the verdict was announced: "I'm surprised but very pleased. We were not very confident of winning because the competition was so stiff."

Beady Bits, one of hundreds of Young Enterprise companies set up in schools and colleges across the country to help young people understand business, donated its profits to the Teenage Cancer Trust charity.

Invicta's link teacher, Alison Carlow, said the winning company, advised by Pam Kentish of the KPMG accounting firm, had "stood out from the beginning with their effort and motivation”.

She added: "The teamwork was very good. As a group of 15, which is a large company for Young Enterprise, they worked well together."

Alex King, Kent county councillor and chairman of the YE strategic board, said businesses could learn a lot from the young people. The future was in good hands.

"There is a new breed of young managers waiting in the wings in this county," he said.

"It is incumbent on all of us in education, the Learning and Skills Council and local authorities, to foster that."

Rubio Ithidia, a company set up by students at Rainham Mark Grammar School, won an award for best presentation.

As part of the presentation and award evening, Ruth Yeoman, a company secretary with Reuters and former pupil of Chatham Girls Grammar School, spoke about her career, including a spell in New York.

She was there on September 11, 2001, when the Twin Towers came down and described how the tragedy had affected her.

Other Young Enterprise finalists were AKA (West Kent), Enigma (North East Kent), Indigo (Dover), Old Skool (Ashford), Paragon (Shepway), and Scribblers (North West Kent).

The judges were Jill Cochrane, chairman of Kent Institute of Directors, Robert Neame, chairman of Shepherd Neame, and David Costin, of HSBC Bank.