A pupil from a Hitchin prep school has won a national competition after writing a fantastic historical essay.

Harry Crossley won the Ampleforth Junior History Essay Competition for his work that looked at the effect of the secret German police force (Stasi) during the division of Germany after World War II.

Year 8 pupils from more than 20 of the best prep schools across the country were required to research, plan and write a 1,500 word history essay on a topic of their choice.

For his efforts, Harry picked up a certificate for himself and his school, as well as book tokens that will be shared between him and the history department.

In a statement the school said: “This year we are delighted to announce that our now former Year 8 pupil Harry Crossley won the entire compeition. An incredible achievement!

“Topics covered by our Year 8 pupils were very impressive, interesting and commendable.”