A team of sixth-form students from Friends' School in Lisburn won first prize at the UK-wide First Tech Challenge robotics competition.

The event took place at the Copper Box Arena in London. The team competed against 48 other schools.

The robot, numbered 25416, was built to play basketball. Students spent hundreds of hours on its design, construction and programming.

Team member Aaron Portis, 18, said the challenge centred on integrating all components for maximum speed. He said the competition required quick operation of the robot's controls.

Jonathan Gillespie, also 18, said the team focused on hardware and software tasks. He said one member developed the ball-shooting mechanism while others handled manufacturing and 3D printing.

Rebekah McCullough, 18, said the team hosted workshops for local primary schools. She said younger pupils used pre-programmed robots during the sessions.

The team won the competition shortly before their A-Level exams. They will not attend the European final in the Netherlands because of exam timing.