FOUR Bolton girls won an all-expenses-paid trip to New York after impressing industry big-wigs with their business brains.

Seventeen-year-old Deanne Cunningham, Carolyn Brennand, Kate Burton and Jane Lucas toured the Big Apple's sights such as the Statue of Liberty and Times Square during their four-day half-term trip.

The sixth form students at Bolton School's Girls' Division beat off competition from six other teams in the national Presentation Skills competition.

The competition was held in a TV studio setting in front of a live audience at the Manpower National Skills Show 2000 at the NEC in Birmingham.

The girls' task was to deliver a presentation on the qualities and skills needed by a successful business in the 21st century.

The competition was hosted by TV presenter Angela Lamont, from BBC 2's "It'll Never Work" programme.

The girls' teacher, Carol Haslam, said the competition had been a "marvellous opportunity for young people to gain experience of using a wide range of skills which will be needed for their future careers".

Judith Monroe, a special projects manager for the Understanding Industry Trust, who organised the competition, said: "The Presentation Skills competition provides the opportunity for young people to enhance their confidence and self-esteem while demonstrating the creativity, flexibility and adaptability they possess that will benefit business in the future."

The judging panel included Sir Paul Judge, chairman of the Understanding Industry Trust, Pugh Phillips, a director of brewing giants Bass plc, Tony Halston, from the Department of Education and Employment and Phil Revell, a journalist for the Times Educational Supplement.