Pupils from around Norfolk and Suffolk took part in the Young Enterprise Norfolk scheme, which saw them run their own business for a year.

Saturday's event, held in Castle Mall, was the culmination of that year, and saw the groups of youngsters sell their products and try to impress judges.

In this year's scheme - the local arm of the national Young Enterprise charity - the goods ranged from cookbooks and tasty treats to tea towels and jumpers.

The winner of the best product award went to one easy sweep, a useful garden tool for sweeping leaves or rubbish created by Windsor and Moss, a group of students from the Swaffham campus of the Focus School.

Team member Chelsea Lawrence, 17, said, finding the product to create had been the difficult part.

'We decided that looking for the product wasn't working,' she said, 'so instead we looked for the problem that we could solve.

'During the autumn there's lots of leaves, and while it's a small problem it's frustrating and one many people face.'

The winner of the best trade stand was Scentstation, created by students at the Focus School in Stoke-by-Nayland, while best customer service was won by East Coast Eats, from Woodbridge School.

And year nine students from City of Norwich School won the best problem-solving award.

Other teams involved included Team Anglian Heritage, students from the Norwich School who created mugs and T-shirts featuring local designs.

Patricia Hagan, regional director for the east of England for Young Enterprise, said the students spend a full year running their businesses.

'They source and produce their products and sell to the public,' she said. 'They are the directors of their own business, they make all the decisions, supported by a teacher and businesses who come in to give them advice.

'This is a safe way of practicing because they go on it to do it themselves.'

The competition is open to 13 to 18-year-olds, and has previously been held at the Forum. This is the first year it has been at home in a Castle Mall unit.

For more information on the scheme, click here.