An alarm system which tells you if you’ve left your windows open and an idea to pay for bus fares using your mobile phone credit were just two of the ingenious suggestions dreamt up by young entrepeneurs at a Dragons’ Den-style day.

Teams of Year 10 pupils at Oakwood Park Grammar School, Maidstone, stepped into the den last Thursday to face four dragons with their business ideas.

The one-day event, organised by Kent Works, produced a host of ideas for schoolchildren, drivers and pensioners in need of a home cooked meal.

The winning team, Safe Systems, featuring Chris Bennett, Aaron Sutton, James Jeary, Ross Hayman and Nick Littler, pitched their Lock Check idea to the dragons, who were Maidstone council leader Cllr Chris Garland, businessmen Mike Coridian and Kevin Bush and Kent Messenger reporter Angela Cole.

Two teams were named runners-up; Easy Pay and Gilf. All three teams will go through to a final against Highsted Grammar School in Sittingbourne.

Mr Bush said: “Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best and win through. They are very simple ideas, well thought through and extremely well presented.”