YOUNG people stepped up to the microphone to hit the right note in a toe-tapping "MC" competition.

Organised by the Harmony Youth Project, teenagers aged from 13 to 19 entered the contest to find the best MC - which is the latest music craze sweeping the nation where rap lyrics are sung over dance music.

Charlie Barrett, project manager of Halliwell based performing arts organisation, said: "MC is all the rage and is very popular among young people. We have been holding two of these competitions a year since 2001 for young people in the community and have seen some really talented people."

The competition was held at Harmony Media Centre in Halliwell on Monday evening and the overall winner was Robert Davies, aged 17, of Bolton. The group, which takes performing arts into the community, will be staging their next contest at the end of the year.