A NEWPORT schoolboy is following his father's footsteps after snapping up a top photography award.

Sixteen-year-old Ben Evans was a winner in the UK Young Sports Photographer of the Year competition.

The Rougemont School pupil fought off fierce competition from entries across the country to pick up the title in the 15-16- year-olds category of the Sports Aid-run competition.

"I saw the advert for the competition in the back of my school diary," said Ben. "Sports photography is my favourite, particularly rugby, so I thought this was the ideal competition to enter.

"Some of the work I entered included long jump events at my school, the motocross at the Millennium Stadium and, of course, some rugby shots. "As it was a national competition I never expected to win as I know how many talented photographers there are in my age group, so it was a great moment when I found out I had won."

Ben hopes to go into photography full-time when he leaves school, and may join his dad's agency.

Huw Evans has been a professional photographer for 25 years and is no stranger to awards himself, having won Welsh Press Photographer of the Year and the Heineken Rugby Photographer of the Year.

As well as working with his father in his spare time, Ben has taken a number of photographs for Rougemont School, which have appeared in the Press and will feature in the school's new prospectus.

Jonathan Tribbick, headmaster at Rougemont School, said: "Ben's talent for photography is well known throughout the school and we try to use his work for official purposes wherever possible.

"He has an incredible gift, and to receive an award like this at the age of 16 is a huge achievement.

"We'd like to wish him the best of luck with his future work."