TWO artistic York schoolchildren have won a year's supply of flowers and £250 for a charity of their choice.

Tirion Horn, of Yearsley Grove Infant School, and Maria Mazza, of Dunnington CE Primary School, won a competition run by florists Wards of York, to design a colourful greeting card.

Their winning designs will now be adapted by Wards and sent out with every bouquet during 2003.

Tirion, six, would like her mother to receive the year's supply of flowers.

She has asked the £250 to go towards her school's fund to build a new library.

Tirion's mother, Janice Wall, said: "It's lovely because the week before we got the letter to say she'd won she told me she wanted to be an artist."

Roger Highton, head teacher at Dunnington School, said: "I had a chat with Maria this morning and I believe she would like the money to go to a charity in India that her father works with. Maria has done all the work and we would really like to support her, she's done a great job."

Wards launched the competition as part of the family firm's centenary celebrations

Shop manager Irene Bough said: "We're very pleased, there's been a good response from the children. It's nice that children took an interest in the competition."

Updated: 09:13 Wednesday, March 19, 2003