TWO schools in the Bradford district will tomorrow do battle for a place in a national final in a mock trials competition.

Beckfoot School and Belle Vue Girls' School will challenge three other schools in the North Eastern England regional heat of the Magistrates' Court Mock Trial Competition at Bradford and Keighley Magistrates' Court.

Holmfirth High School, Bradfield School, Sheffield and Hall Cross Academy, Doncaster, are the other schools taking part.

Only one team can go through to the national finals, to be held at the Victoria Law Courts in Birmingham on Saturday, June 6.

Teams of up to 13 students will use witness statements to prepare the prosecution and defence for a specially written criminal case.

They will play witnesses, lawyers, magistrates and court officials at the Bradford court on Saturday between 10.30am and 2.30pm.

The teams will be marked on their performance from residing magistrates' judges in Bradford, Leeds and Doncaster.

A total of nine other regional finals involving 68 schools will take place over the next two weeks across the country to determine the full national line-up.

Beckfoot School in Wagon Lane, Bingley, and Belle Vue Girls' School in Thorn Lane, Heaton, Bradford, beat opposition from across the Bradford district to reach this stage after finishing as the top two in a Bradford heat held in the city in March.

The Magistrates' Court Mock Trial Competition, which has been running since 1994, introduces the legal system to young people.

The competition, run by the Citizenship Foundation in partnership with the Magistrates' Association, is open to 12 and 14-year-olds.

Beckfoot School head teacher David Horn said: "We are all very excited by the progress of our Beckfoot School magistrates team who have made it through to the regional finals.

"The team has worked incredibly hard, giving up an enormous amount of their own time.

"Their commitment has been second to none from back in December when they were given their first case to study and they have continually worked superbly as a team."

Belle Vue Girls' School head teacher Mary Copeland said: "This is the second time that they earned a place in the district final.

"This truly is a fantastic opportunity for the girls to express themselves in a formal situation in front of an audience of professionals and peers from other schools.

"We are delighted with their success and look forward to their performance."

Event organiser Mick Richings said the standard of students so far in the competition has been high.

He said: "It is set up like a normal trial. The competition is marked out of 120 and a good score is 100.

"There will be judges from Bradford in court taking part.

"All of the heats have achieved a very high standard. The pupils are almost professional when they come to it."