A 12-year-old Highfield boy has won a national award for his poetry.

The Young Writers Foundation gave Islam Hussain the Young Writers Creativity Award for his poem Dark Room.

University Academy Keighley student Islam will see his poem published in the London-based foundation’s annual Power Of Poetry.

Islam’s father, Sabir, an events promoter who runs club nights in Dubai, said his son was one of only 171 young people across the UK selected from 4,000 applicants to be published in Power Of Poetry.

Islam said: “I cannot believe I was selected – it was a very big surprise.

“Dark Room was based on a young person who is depressed and cannot leave his room.

“It talks about the social life of young children who suffer from depression due to family problems and pressure to do exams.”

Islam hopes to write more poems for international competitions in Belgium and France and plans to take up songwriting.

He added: “This is a stepping stone for me and I’m looking to work hard in the coming years.”

The Power Of Poetry, edited by Cheryl Whit-field, is available to buy at WH Smiths and from the Amazon website, priced £12.99.