The search for Britain's top mechanical mastermind has now reached its penultimate phase and competition organiser, Champion, has whittled down hundreds of entrants to just 50 after marking the Technician of the Year stage one paper.

In the first phase of the contest, hopefuls from across the UK sat a technical examination paper and the 50 technicians who achieved the highest score have progressed to the next round.

They will sit another paper, as the 50 are reduced to a final 10. These remaining finalists will then be invited to a showdown at Champion's European Technical Centre on March 19 where they will be subjected to a full day of theoretical and practical challenges.

They will be judged by an independent panel, which includes the Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMI) and the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI).

The overall champion will win prizes including £5,000 worth of Sykes-Pickavant tools and a day at the Jonathan Palmer Motorsport Sensation.