Harrow College Does Dragons' Den

Harrow College last week became a den for four local dragons.

Not exactly. But, in the style of the popular BBC TV show, four business people were invited to the college to judge the business ideas of six students.

Other students and local employers filled the big hall of the Harrow Weald Campus on Brookshill last Thursday to see the sixth form contestants present in a "professional" and "confident" manner, according to Deepa Rai of Harrow College.

The winner, Swati Kothari, planned a bar where people can relieve stress by bursting coloured-water filled balloons - and create modern art in the process.

"I chose to do 'Split Splash' because my brother suffers from depression and he's into art," said Miss Kothari. "Presenting in front of the dragons was a great experience."

Runner-up Pelin Demir, with her online venture Musicbox.com, said: "This event made me believe in myself and want to improve."

Kurtis Williams came third with his garment retail business, Custom Garmz.

Dragon Nita Nazir, who owns a deli and has owned a travel agency, urged the government to inject more cash into these schemes and said: "Harrow College is doing a great job and should do more events like these."

Harrow college ran the event to give students the chance to meet employers and improve their skills and job prospects.

The other contestants were Bhavin Narottan, Nirmal Patel and Abdi Hashi.

And the other dragons were Sherrill Channer, Area Manager for Abbey National, Heidi Santos, recruitment specialist for Working Links, and Tony Cox from the Metropolitan Police.