'SAM Beck, 21 months old, was found by his grandparents after being left to rot for 18 days'.

That was the sensational start to a story written by children aged just nine to 11 at a county primary school.

Headlined 'A Wasted Life - Baby Sam killed over drugs', the story splashed over the front of the Ewyas Harold News made white knuckle reading, and earned the school a highly commended award from the Times Educational Supplement.

The sickening tale, found in the Daily Mail, was put together by pupils Poppy Iveson, Emily Bowkett and Adam Chapman in just one day for a national school competition.

It detailed how the baby had been left a bloody corpse for nearly three weeks after being punched to death by stepfather Aaron Goodman, who was sentenced to life.

Head teacher at Ewyas Harold, Mark Gunn, said the story had not distressed the youngsters, who had worked on it as part of a six-page publication, which included two other tragic deaths.

Hardened news hacks at The Times were impressed with the 18 children in the team and their treatment of hard news.

"They liked the front page and the boxes across the top. They also liked the design and the way the kids treated the feature articles," added Mr Gunn. He said only one parent had been concerned the lead story was too hard hitting.

He will be proudly accompanied by two year six children to London to collect the school's certificate on June 28.