DAZZLING images delighted celebrity scientist and photographer Adam Hart-Davis, as he helped judge a test of pictorial creativity.

Mr Hart-Davis, whose television credits include Top Ten Treasures, What The Romans Did For Us and Tomorrow's World, came to York St John University College to hand out prizes as part of the Seeing Science As Wonder Competition.

The competition, organised by Science City York as part of the York Science Festival, which ended yesterday, had more than 500 entrants.

Mr Hart-Davis joined Martin Oates, Evening Press picture editor, and Garry Fry, senior photographer at the Central Science Laboratory at Sand Hutton, to select the winners.

Chemist Jackie Staves, 40, of Barmby Moor, won the adult category with her photo of ice.

She said: "I've been taking photos for about 20 years, but this is the first time I've entered a competition and to win like this is just fantastic, I can't believe it."

Among the winners in the children's categories, 16-year-old Alexandra MacKay, who studies art at St Aidan's School, in Harrogate, won in the Years 10 and 11 category with her image of dew on a red rose.

She said: "This was one of my art course pieces and I just took a chance and entered it, but I never expected to win."

Winners in the other two children's categories, Years 1-6 and Years 7-9, were respectively Robert Lowe, for Ice Patterns on a Car Windscreen, and Jamie Shuttle, for Pods.

Mr Hart-Davis said: "I have been flattered that my pictures helped to inspire such a successful competition.

"It has been a pleasure to help with the judging, particularly as the standard of entries has been extremely high and from people of all ages.

"The winning pictures have really captured the spirit of the competition, making us see the world differently and really marvel at the wonder of science."

Updated: 11:02 Monday, March 20, 2006