A plumbing apprentice has been named the best apprentice and student plumber in London and the South East.

Daisy Turner, 24, who is training at Barking and Dagenham College, beat rivals from all over the region in a live practical test in front of a tough panel of judges from the Institute of Heating Plumbing Engineers.

She won several prizes including tools and new workwear.

“It was a well-deserved win for Daisy,” her college tutor Lee Regan said afterwards. “We are all really proud of her.”

Six regional winners and their closest runners-up from all over the country now battle it out for the national Learner of the Year title in April.

The annual contest is a platform for apprentice and student plumbers to show their skills with prizes to help start their careers.

Barking and Dagenham is one of London’s main colleges for intermediate, advanced and higher apprenticeships. It trains around 1,000 apprentices a year working directly with 300 employers.