Young racers revved into action for the annual Thanet primary schools' battery car grand prix.

Competition was fierce but friendly as 14 brightly decorated home-made kit cars powered around a circuit in the grounds of Chatham House School in Ramsgate.

The junior race teams had spent weeks preparing their machines, making sure they were in tip-top shape for race day, which attracted a crowd of more than 500 supporters, parents and friends.

Jubilant Minster primary took the trophy as overall winners, with Birchington School taking the prize for the best designed bodywork and the team presentation with their “eco warriors on safari” theme.

Minterne School from Sittingbourne won the driving skills competition and with it a Scalextric model car racing set presented by Hornby Hobbies, who also provided a second set for the raffle that raised £110 towards the event costs.

Haddon Dene School from Broadstairs were judged to have the “greenest” environmental entry.

Organiser Lester Edmeades, from Chatham House science department, said: “This was our third annual green power junior race and the field keeps increasing in size and strength each year, with around a hundred pupils taking part.

“It was an excellent event and the schools have really caught the racing bug - they are already looking forward to improving on their 2008 performance for next summer.”

Mr Edmeades thanked Ling Demolition from Canterbury for providing around 1,000 tyres as circuit barriers and praised the Chatham House marshalls who toiled late into the evening creating the track the night before.

Schools that took part were: Birchington, St Peter’s, St Nicholas, Hampton, Herne, Haddon Dene, Upton, St Laurence, St Saviour’s, Herne Bay, Reculver, Minster, Minterne, Northbourne Park.