OLD Town's James Peacock is celebrating after winning a national competition for an essay on water poverty.

The 34-year-old of Shelley Street won the postgraduate category in the 2015 IBE (Institute of Business Ethics) Student Essay Competition in Business Ethics for his essay, which he hopes will raise the profile of work on water poverty across the country.

“I am delighted to have won the award from the Institute of Business Ethics," he said.

"I currently work in a specialist role, and I’ve been pursuing a more general career in business ethics and sustainability.

"This award will give me a real boost in realising the career I desire, and hopefully raise the profile of the work on water poverty in the UK.”

The winners were each awarded £1,000, thanks to a donation from the Gordon Cook Foundation.

The IBE Student Essay Competition in Business Ethics celebrates the best writing and thinking by undergraduates and postgraduates on business ethics. It aims to encourage student interest in business ethics and the integration of discussions on corporate responsibility into the core curricula of business schools.

Philippa Foster Back CBE, IBE’s director said: “These students have shown the impressive level of debate on these issues taking place in the UK’s Universities and Business Schools.

"We had double the number of entries than in 2014, showing the level of interest in the topic at universities. All those who entered are to be congratulated, and we hope that they will continue to consider and debate ethical issues in their future careers.”

James wrote the essay from Bradford University School of Management while the undergraduate winner was Harrison Hancock.

Harrison's essay, Strategic CSR: Corporate Challenges and Practical Means to Address Them, from Durham University Business School, provided an opportunity for him to develop his knowledge in this field.

He said: "I entered this competition as I wrote the essay genuinely interested in the debate that may be had surrounding strategic CSR.

"Having finished university now and starting work as a business consultant, it is interesting to keep in mind this debate when looking at different companies. Being invited to the ceremony as a winner provides a great opportunity to discuss with experts in the field and expand my knowledge further."