TEACHERS can count on nine-year-old Mukund Bhatt to do well in maths.

The clever youngster beat every other pupil in his school in an arithmetic competition - including some older than him.

Makund, who attends Bolton Parish Church School, was originally picked to represent his year group in a school championship after scoring full marks on a written maths test.

He went on to answer a series of taxing mental arithmetic questions to beat five of his school mates and win the coveted maths title.

He received a trophy and a medal recognising his achievements.

The Year Five pupil, of Castle Street, Bolton, said: "It was a very difficult competition. I had to answer questions like what is 13 x 13 off the top of my head.

"My favourite subject is maths and I enjoy calculating things. When I am older I would like to be an engineer, which will involve a lot of maths."

His father Rohit Bhatt said: "I was good at maths when I was at school in India. I used the same techniques that I was taught to teach Makund when he was four years old. He picked it up quickly."

Headteacher Chris Jones said: "Makund is certainly gifted when it comes to maths."