ARTWORK by two talented Brierley Hill students has been chosen to front MP Margot James's Christmas card.

Grace Dowling and Luke Jones from Birmingham Metropolitan College’s Art and Design Centre were streets ahead of the competition with their festive design which sees Stourbridge road names decoratively positioned in the shape of a Christmas pudding.

Instead of inviting pupils from nearby schools, Conservative MP Ms James this year asked arty students at the Venture Way college to submit potential designs for her official Christmas card which will be sent out to a host of notable names including Prime Minister David Cameron.

She said: “I am always impressed by the imagination and skill which goes into the submissions I receive, and this year was no exception.

“All of the designs were so thoughtful and professionally put together, but in the end I had to go for Grace and Luke’s card.

"I’m delighted they were able to come up with such a unique concept, which also looked so striking.”

The 18-year-old winning students are in the second year of a University of the Arts London art and design foundation diploma course at B-Met's state-of-the-art Brierley Hill campus.

Luke, from Brierley Hill, said: “Our brief was to design a Christmas card linked to Stourbridge.

“Both Grace and I thought that using typography would be a great way of showcasing the town; which is how we came up with our design. The writing is a mix of the traditional and contemporary and we’re really pleased Margot James liked it.”

Grace, aged 18, from Birmingham, added: "Seeing one of our ideas transformed into a finished product is a really great feeling. It’s been a great experience."