AN OXFORD rapper has been named runner-up in a national competition searching for the best young singing star.

Elliott Haslam, 21, who performs under the name Mr Shaodow, is a law and business student at Oxford Brookes University.

He was picked from thousands of musicians to compete in the first annual Mouth Cancer Voice Awards.

He was one of 11 performers selected to take part in a live final and was the only rapper to make the final.

Mr Haslam, from Headington, said: "It was amazing to reach the final. I work so hard on my music and it's wonderful to get recognition for what I do, plus it was for a really good cause."

The final was at the Jerwood Vanbrugh Theatre in London and Mr Haslam, who wrote a rap relating to mouth cancer for the event, missed out on the top prize, a day's recording studio time, to singer Kirsty Nichol.

The inaugural Mouth Cancer Voice Awards were aimed at young people and students, encouraging them not to take their voices for granted.

It was judged by a panel which included former Atomic Kitten Natasha Hamilton, TV presenter Julia Bradbury, West End theatre star Julie Atherton, actress and comedian Helen Lederer and the founder of the Mouth Cancer Foundation, Dr Vinod Joshicor.

Dr Joshi said: "Everyone on the panel was stunned and amazed at the extremely high standard of everyone who took part.

"I believe we have discovered some names that will be around for many years to come."

Originally from London, Mr Haslam's roots are in opera, but he started rapping in 2004 after a trip to China to study kung fu with Shaolin monks.

It is planned for the Mouth Cancer Voice Awards to become an annual event to coincide with Mouth Cancer Awareness Week each November.