Students from Oxford Brookes University are taking part in an international racing car design competition this week at the National Exhibition Centre, near Birmingham.

The Formula Student event, from Thursday to Saturday, is the biggest of its kind in Europe and is organised by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

University teams from Europe and America are challenged to design and build a single-seater racing car, which they then put through its paces in front of enthusiasts and industrialists on a specially constructed track. The Oxford Brookes team hase designed and built its car in six months.

Many of the team have had work experience in the motor industry, some with Formula One teams.