DOZENS of young York citizens received their Duke of Edinburgh's Awards at a prestigious ceremony in the city.

The intrepid young people clinched the accolade, despite the epidemic of foot and mouth disease, which often meant they could not roam the "broad acres" in their quest for gold.

The Lord Mayor of York, Councillor Irene Waudby, presented bronze, silver and gold awards to 136 young people aged between 14 and 25 at the Salvation Army Citadel, in Gillygate.

A total of 16 entrants reached the gold standard, and are now looking forward to a presentation next year, attended by the Duke of Edinburgh, at either Buckingham Palace or St James' Palace.

To receive the coveted award, young people must complete a programme of practical and adventurous challenges.

The ceremony was also attended by group leaders, who were commended for finding solutions to the problem of foot and mouth restrictions on the expedition component of the scheme.

For more information about the awards, telephone 01904 541801.

Gold awards

Pasqualine Antony DiLorenzo, Heather Jane Gray, Angela Wood, Anna Fielding, Mark Gronnow, Naomi Watson, Anna Tweedlie, Tara Bland, George Weyman, Amy Elizabeth Cunnington, Thomas Garnett, Kate Hudson, Richard Sidaway, Hannah Florence Walter, Zoe Williams, Emma Barbery.

Silver awards

Suzanne Abbott, Bethany Carroll, Ruth Hogg, Lucy-Charlotte Holden, Sophie Lawler, Hanni Loynes, Bonnie Adair, Charlotte Anderson, Paul Faller, Jennifer Marr, Josh Mayo, Sarah Scriven, Jane Sheridan, Helen Tomaszewska, James Grice, Marcus Tarry, Daniel Wilson, Simon Antoun, Daniel Bolton, Kirsty Howarth, Ben Scholes, Arianwen Morris, Rosie Young, Marion Wild, Lucy Kirby.

Silver and bronze awards

Anne Norton, Alice Louise French.

Bronze winners

Emma Blane, Eloise Chamier, Elisabeth Elvidge, Ashley Holmes, Abigail-Hope Urwin, Laura Lancaster, Alice Lewin, Phillip Durham, Simon Fidler, Katherine Fitzepatrick, Lucy Victoria Gould, Alex Outhwaite, Louise Reed, Kevin Bancroft, James Banks, Andrew Bassett, James Garnett, Micheal Holden, James Howat, David Johnson, John Kirkman, Linsey O'Donnell, Christopher Small, Joe Barrero, Rebecca Birch, Meryl Edwards, Katherine Evarard, Kathryn Faiers, Gemma Gorner, Mathew Pickering, Katie Sherwin, Samantha Thomas, Vivien Harland, Patrick Lee, Sarah Machin, Christopher Taylor, Fay Barrie, Daniel Noble, Kim Sellars, Sarah Jane Barker, Katherine Botting, Jamie Brothwell, Philippa Claxton, Clare Dance, Holly Davies, Marko Dukic, Claire Forrest, Melissa Hardy, Philip Hewit, Helen Keeble, David Knott, James Oates, Laurence Olsen, Andy Roberts, Ben Robinson, Naomi Sheldon, Anna Stewart, Andrew Thornham, Eleanor Grummitt, Elizabeth Hewitt, Rebecca Hurd, Caroline Metcalfe, Felicity Rollings, Faye Stephenson, Simon Armistead, Robert Barnes, Thomas Hutchinson, Christine McIlwaine, Leanne Newman, Rachel Stevens, Samantha Buckingham, Charles Bush, Alex Dorman, Gareth Evans, Martin Gall, Tom Henderson, Jonathan Herbert, Nick Hutson, Hester Lockley, Amy Lynn, Hayley McTurk, Alison Middleton, Katherine Pearson, Tim Prudames, Luke Ramsden, Laura Theobold, James Howard, Alex Lloyd, Joseph Llyons, Victoria Wilkie, Christopher Garnett.

Updated: 10:28 Tuesday, December 11, 2001