A former St George’s College student has been awarded a scholarship to support his engineering degree at Oxford University.

James Russell was given £1,000 as part of the diamond jubilee scholarship from the Institution of Engineering and Technology.

The money is given to top performing engineering and technology students each year.

James, who studies at Hilda’s College, submitted details about the Orrey, a mechanical device which shows the positions and motions of planets in the solar system, to show why he should be awarded the scholarship.

The engineering whizz created the device while studying at St George’s College and also sent details of his plans to research computer controlled machinery.

He was thrilled to have won the scholarship and excited to have the chance to develop his ideas.

Professor Andy Hopper, president of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, said: “With demand for more than 2m engineers in the next few decades, it has never been more important to encourage young people to study engineering so that they are able to follow rewarding careers and, ultimately, protect the UK’s economic prosperity.”