A young designer who has come up with an innovative and practical way to help the homeless has won a national competition.

Alec Conway now hopes his idea which wowed judges at global company Samsung will take the world by storm as well as transform the lives of rough sleepers.

The 23-year-old beat off stiff competition to scoop the top prize of six months of expertise mentoring and £10,000 to help get his project off the ground.

The kitchen designer stumbled on the idea while on a trip to Krakow in Poland with mates when he observed a group of homeless people walking the streets with their wordly goods in a trolley.

He realised they needed more than a sleeping bag, a temporary roof over their heads and handouts to get them out of their desperate way of life.

The Rochester resident devised a package which includes a secure locker to store possessions which doubles up as phone charger and PO box providing an address.

Having a fixed address is key as it allows people to open a bank account, communicate with essential services and apply for a job.

The lockers are interactive with each one equipped with a screen, which will help the user gain access to vital information such as NHS services and maps of the local area.

They'd also act as a digital donation point for the public to fund items, including food tokens, showers or a haircut.

Alec, who lives with his family in Hathaway Court, said while being passionate about his project, he was "completely shocked" to win the Solve for Tomorrow youth contest.

He said: "It felt amazing, a real heart in the mouth moment to think people believe in me.

"I really do believe this could make a difference to homeless people all over the world."

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