A HEREFORDSHIRE songwriting duo is celebrating success in the UK Songwriting Contest, with two of their compositions reaching the finals of the prestigious competition.

Richard Horlock, of Bodenham, and co-writer Tim Powell-Tuck only read about the contest, now in its third year, a week before the closing date and had to work day and night to prepare the four songs they submitted.

All four reached the semi-finals of the contest organised by the BRIT Trust, the organisation behind the BRITS, with two songs making the final cut - Murder on the Orient Express in the Dance category and There is no Reason in Jazz and Blues.

Richard's musical career began with the piano at five years old, followed the French horn and the guitar, before moving on to writing his first numbers when he was 14.

He will shortly launch ecomsongs.com, a web-based shop window for local songwriters.

Tim and Richard are already planning to enter the 2006 UK Songwriting Contest.