Josh Mitchell (18) — a student from Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School — was named the UK Young Engineer of the Year at The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Competition, for his affordable 3-D printer prototype called ‘The Plybot’.

Mr Mitchell aimed to prove that it was possible to build a 3-D printer that was a fraction of the cost of ‘conventional’ units, was easy to assemble at home and did not compromise on print quality (www.thebigbangfair.co.uk).

His final creation, which cost just £49 and fits inside two 13in pizza boxes, is readily assembled using 18 bolts and produces ‘print quality’ that “is indistinguishable from commercial printers”.

Mr Mitchell reached the UK finals of the competition after winning a place in the on-line heats, and he was one of more than 500 finalists from across the country who were selected to show their ideas at The Big Bang Fair; 10 of them were shortlisted to pitch — Dragon’s Den-style — to a panel of VIP judges.

Mr Mitchell said: “The Big Bang Competition has been brilliant. I had such a fantastic time last year that I wanted to return this year with my project ‘The Plybot’.

“I’m delighted to have won and I hope the success continues into my Kickstarter campaign for The Plybot, to get these low-cost 3-D printers into people’s hands.”