YOUNGSTERS are being urged to get their writing skills into top gear for a new competition.

National Express has chosen children's author Isabelle King to launch and judge their Express Yourself short story competition which is being used to celebrate the introduction of the company's new onboard entertainment system VUER.

Budding writers aged between seven and 16 are encouraged to send in their tales on the theme of happy travelling.

Winning stories will be published in the VUER system for passengers to read as they travel from Colchester, and other stations across the country.

Launching in the East of England, the new entertainment system will allow travellers hours of free entertainment as well as news, weather and journey updates.

Isabelle said: "I’d love every child in Colchester to have a go, it doesn’t matter if you think you’re not a writer, everyone has a story.

"Writing is one of the best ways of expressing your ideas, unlocking your creative side, and this is a great opportunity to share it."

Entrants should write a story of up to but no more than 1000 words, and they have until the December 31 to send it to david.wrottesley@nationalexpress.com