Two Bristol teenagers took a trip to 10 Downing Street, where Prime Minister Tony Blair commended them for their projects on slavery.

Tom Balson and Trinidadian Joyann Boyce, both Year 11 pupils at St Bede's School in Lawrence Weston, spent a day in London and joined the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott at a special reception.

The event was organised to commemorate the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade and Joyann and Tom were joined by Anna Farthing, from the British Empire and Commonwealth Museum, who sets up volunteer projects for youngsters.

The trio were asked to attend following their drama and media-based research work, which helped form part of last month's Evening Post and Watershed Electric December project.At No 10, Mr Blair, Mr Prescott, and ex-Conservative party leader William Hague talked to Tom and Joyann about their projects and future aspirations.The youngsters also heard about the government's plans to prevent people-trafficking and other forms of child slavery today.

Tom and Joyann were invited into the cabinet room for an individual photo call with the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister. At the reception they met people from all over the country who are engaged in projects for the bicentenary.The Prime Minister said: "It is school children like Joyann and Tom who are bringing the story of abolition right into the Bristol community and who will be the backbone of the bicentenary commemorations.

"Joyann said: "I asked Tony Blair and John Prescott lots of questions about what they were doing to help young people in slavery today."They were really interested and we talked for quite a long time.
"Tom's work looks at Bristol's Harbourside today and asks where all the jobs have gone, while Joyann's short film takes a closer look at children still living in slavery 200 years after the anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade. Both pieces can be seen online at www.electricdecember.org behind window number 10.