"REFUGEE" has been named the children's word of the year by publisher Oxford University Press.

The company analysed 123,436 entries for the 500 Words competition run by the BBC Radio 2 Chris Evans Breakfast Show and said there had been a significant increase in the number of times the word was used.

Youngsters who wrote in the competition for five to 13 year-olds were said to have used the word "refugee" in a sophisticated context with emotive and descriptive language around it.

The subject matter of many of the stories in the competition was the plight of children leaving home and undertaking difficult journeys.

Last year the children's word of the year was hashtag and the # symbol used to represent it.

Head of children's dictionaries at OUP Vineeta Gupta said: "The children writing in this year's competition have demonstrated a sophisticated use of language in their storytelling.

"They have used rich descriptions to convey emotion and have produced powerful stories that resonate with the reader.

"Our extensive research has provided a deeper understanding of children's language skills across the UK and we continue to be inspired by their creativity."

The competition challenges children to write stories that are 500 words long and the winners will be announced tomorrow when the Breakfast Show is broadcast live from Shakespeare's Globe in London.