A young engineer has won a £5,000 grant to make his water-saving invention a reality.
Henry Monkcom, of Layer de la Haye, has designed the Water Wizard, a device to conserve the water wasted before a tap runs hot.
The 14-year-old's invention won the youth innovation category at the Future Friendly awards, which recognises people taking action to save water, energy or waste.
Henry, who goes to Colchester High School, said: "I can't quite believe it, I never thought for one minute that I'd win!
"Water saving is a really serious issue that affects all of us, so I'm really happy that the judges thought that my water saving device could go some way to helping the problem."
He was given the award by newsreader Sir Trevor McDonald at a presentation in London.
"Henry's water saving device demonstrated great potential in terms of its ability to actually make a difference, and the judges saw a clear opportunity to help further its development to help encourage others to live more sustainably," Sir Trevor said.
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