Pranksters graduate in fine art of spoofing hoax

Two student pranksters have been rewarded for their cheek in sending out letters cancelling a national art and design competition that had the brief "tell a lie - convincingly".

Organisers of the Donside Student Awards were so impressed by the spoof by Cleo Cobb and Colleen Pugh that they awarded the women, who are studying visual communications at Edinburgh College of Art, consolation prizes. Last night Bill Gore, chief executive of Donside Paper Company, travelled to Edinburgh to present the graphic design students with their own versions of the Tim cartoon published when The Independent exposed the prank.

The students' cancellation letter forced organisers to send out hundreds of letters and make scores of phone calls informing other entrants it was a spoof.